अर्थप्रापककार्यैकप्रयत्नपरता बुधैः । प्रोक्ता पौरुषशब्देन सर्वमासाद्यतेऽनया ॥ २४ ॥
arthaprāpakakāryaikaprayatnaparatā budhaiḥ | prōktā pauruṣaśabdēna sarvamāsādyatē’nayā || 24 ||
Translation
To be wholly given to the one effort of the work that wins one's aim: this the wise call by the word "effort". By it, all is reached.
Word by word
- artha
- one's aim
- prāpaka
- that wins
- kārya
- of the work
- ēka
- the one
- prayatna
- effort
- paratā
- to be wholly given
- budhaiḥ
- the wise
- prōktā
- call
- pauruṣa
- "effort"
- śabdēna
- by the word
- sarvam
- all
- āsādyatē
- is reached
- anayā
- by it
Meaning
The definition given in the last sarga returns (2.6.32) with two changes: the aim is simply artha, "what one is after", and the close is broader, "by it all is reached". The commentary: the single-minded devotion to the work that gets one what one wants. In the earlier verse the emphasis fell on rule; here it falls on sufficiency. Teachers repeat themselves on purpose. Nothing needs saying more than once for the sake of understanding it, but it needs saying many times for the sake of doing it. The word "one" (eka) is doing the hardest work of all, since it asks what one is prepared to set aside.