दैवपौरुषविचारचारुभि- श्चेदमाचरितमात्मपौरुषम् । नित्यमेव जयतीति भावितैः कार्य आर्यजनसेवयोद्यमः ॥ ४२ ॥
daivapauruṣavicāracārubhi- ścēdamācaritamātmapauruṣam | nityamēva jayatīti bhāvitaiḥ kārya āryajanasēvayōdyamaḥ || 42 ||
Translation
Self-effort, when it has been practised, always wins: those of fine mind who have weighed fate against effort, and hold to this, should exert themselves by serving noble people.
Word by word
- daiva
- fate
- pauruṣa
- effort
- vicāra
- who have weighed
- cārubhiś
- (cārubhiḥ) those of fine mind
- ca
- and
- idam
- this
- ācaritam
- when it has been practised
- ātma
- self
- pauruṣam
- effort
- nityam
- always
- ēva
- indeed
- jayati
- wins
- iti
- thus
- bhāvitaiḥ
- by those who hold
- kārya
- (kāryaḥ) should be made
- ārya
- noble
- jana
- people
- sēvayā
- by serving
- udyamaḥ
- exertion
Meaning
This is the whole inquiry summed up. Weighing (vicāra) fate and effort was never the point of the exercise for its own sake. It is to produce a conviction (bhāvita), and the conviction is to produce a certain kind of life. Having reasoned the matter through, one should do something: exert oneself (udyama) in the service of the noble (ārya-jana-sevā). The commentary: those fit for it, endowed with the calm, restraint and other means, and ever engaged in serving the best of people, should exert themselves by hearing and reflection for the knowledge of truth. The sarga's many arguments can be forgotten if this much remains: what I do today counts, and I should go to those who can show me what to do with it.