यच्छ्रेयो यदतुच्छं च यदपायविवर्जितम् । तत्तदाचर यत्नेन पुत्रेति गुरवः स्थिताः ॥ १३ ॥
yacchrēyō yadatucchaṁ ca yadapāyavivarjitam | tattadācara yatnēna putrēti guravaḥ sthitāḥ || 13 ||
Translation
"Whatever is the highest good, whatever is not paltry, whatever is free of decay: do that with effort, my son." So the teachers stand.
Word by word
- yac
- (yat) whatever
- chrēyō
- (śreyaḥ) is the highest good
- yad
- (yat) whatever
- atucchaṁ
- is not paltry
- ca
- and
- apāya
- of decay
- vivarjitam
- is free
- tattad
- (tat tat) that
- ācara
- do
- yatnēna
- with effort
- putra
- my son
- iti
- so
- guravaḥ
- the teachers
- sthitāḥ
- stand
Meaning
What teachers have always said, and the verse gives their tone: "my son" (putra). Three tests are given for what should be done: it is the higher good (śreyas), it is not trifling (atuccha), and it does not perish (apāya-vivarjita). The commentary reads the second as "supreme" and the third as "imperishable". They make a good sieve for the use of a day. Much of what fills a day is not bad, only paltry, or will have vanished by next year. Gurus stand (sthitāḥ) on this: it is where they have always stood, and it has not changed.