अनर्थप्राप्तिकार्यैकप्रयत्नपरता तु या । प्रोक्ता प्रोन्मत्तचेष्टेति न किंचित्प्राप्यतेऽनया ॥ २६ ॥
anarthaprāptikāryaikaprayatnaparatā tu yā | prōktā prōnmattacēṣṭēti na kiṁcitprāpyatē’nayā || 26 ||
Translation
But to be wholly given to the one effort at a work that brings harm is called the antics of a madman: nothing is gained by it.
Word by word
- anartha
- harm
- prāpti
- that brings
- kārya
- at a work
- ēka
- the one
- prayatna
- effort
- paratā
- to be wholly given
- tu
- but
- yā
- which
- prōktā
- is called
- prōnmatta
- of a madman
- cēṣṭā
- the antics
- iti
- thus
- na
- not
- kiṁcit
- anything
- prāpyatē
- is gained
- anayā
- by it
Meaning
The definition's shadow. The same intensity, the same single-mindedness, turned on what brings harm (anartha), is no longer effort at all. It is pronmatta-ceṣṭā, a lunatic's antics. The commentary adds: nothing good comes of it, only ill fruit, a fall. So zeal is no virtue in itself. Hard work to wreck one's health, a fierce drive for what can only hurt, the long campaign against a relative: these are exertions, and they can be heroic in scale. Vasiṣṭha will not honour them with the name. The word pauruṣa, then, already contains a judgement: it means "what befits a human being".