जन्मप्रबन्धमयमामयमेष जीवो बुद्ध्वैहिकं सहजपौरुषमेव सिद्ध्यै । शान्तिं नयत्ववितथेन वरौषधेन मृष्टेन तुष्टपरपण्डितसेवनेन ॥ ४३ ॥
janmaprabandhamayamāmayamēṣa jīvō buddhvaihikaṁ sahajapauruṣamēva siddhyai | śāntiṁ nayatvavitathēna varauṣadhēna mṛṣṭēna tuṣṭaparapaṇḍitasēvanēna || 43 ||
Translation
Understanding that the natural effort of this life alone brings success, let this soul quiet the sickness made up of its chain of births with the sure and excellent medicine, sweet to take, of serving the contented and the supremely wise.
Word by word
- janma
- of births
- prabandha
- chain
- mayam
- made up of
- āmayam
- the sickness
- ēṣa
- this
- jīvō
- (jīvaḥ) soul
- buddhvā
- understanding
- aihikaṁ
- of this life
- sahaja
- natural
- pauruṣam
- effort
- ēva
- alone
- siddhyai
- brings success
- śāntiṁ
- quiet
- nayatv
- (nayatu) let it bring to
- avitathēna
- with the sure
- vara
- excellent
- auṣadhēna
- medicine
- mṛṣṭēna
- sweet to take
- tuṣṭa
- of the contented
- para
- the supremely
- paṇḍita
- wise
- sēvanēna
- of serving
Meaning
The sarga ends with medicine. Bondage is an illness (āmaya) and birth after birth is its chain of symptoms (janma-prabandha). The cure is not far off or strange. It is sahaja-pauruṣa, the effort natural to one's present life, and the medicine is service of those who are at peace (tuṣṭa) and truly wise (para-paṇḍita). Three qualities are claimed for it: it does not fail (avitatha), it is the best (vara), and it is sweet (mṛṣṭa). The last is a gentle surprise after so much talk of force and fighting. Sitting with the wise is not a bitter dose. The commentary calls it an unfailing, sweet and excellent remedy. And so the sarga that opened on fate closes on peace (śānti): the whole long fight against fate has been, from the start, a way home to quiet.