पौरुषाद् दृश्यते सिद्धिः पौरुषाद्धीमतां क्रमः । दैवमाश्वासनामात्रं दुःखे पेलवबुद्धिषु ॥ १५ ॥
pauruṣād dṛśyatē siddhiḥ pauruṣāddhīmatāṁ kramaḥ | daivamāśvāsanāmātraṁ duḥkhē pēlavabuddhiṣu || 15 ||
Translation
From effort success is seen, and from effort the progress of the wise. Fate is only a comfort, in sorrow, for feeble minds.
Word by word
- pauruṣād
- (pauruṣāt) from effort
- dṛśyatē
- is seen
- siddhiḥ
- success
- dhīmatāṁ
- of the wise
- kramaḥ
- the progress
- daivam
- fate
- āśvāsanā
- a comfort
- mātraṁ
- only
- duḥkhē
- in sorrow
- pēlava
- for feeble
- buddhiṣu
- minds
Meaning
One of the most humane lines in the sarga. Vasiṣṭha has been severe; here he says what fate is really for. It is āśvāsana-mātra, only a consolation. The commentary pictures it: fate is the wiping of tears for those of weak heart sunk in the sea of sorrow, and people call out "fate, fate" to console the sad and bind up their courage. That is a real use. When a friend has lost a child, we do not explain the laws of effort; we say "it was meant to be". Vasiṣṭha does not forbid this. He only says that a comfort is not a fact, and that no one should take a sickbed word for a rule of life.