क्रियया स्पन्दधर्मिण्या स्वार्थसाधकता स्वयम् । साधुसङ्गमसच्छास्त्रतीक्ष्णयोन्नीयते धिया ॥ २७ ॥
kriyayā spandadharmiṇyā svārthasādhakatā svayam | sādhusaṅgamasacchāstratīkṣṇayōnnīyatē dhiyā || 27 ||
Translation
By action, whose nature is movement, and by an understanding sharpened by the company of the good and by true scripture, one raises oneself: that is to accomplish one's own good.
Word by word
- kriyayā
- by action
- spanda
- movement
- dharmiṇyā
- whose nature is
- sva
- one's own
- artha
- good
- sādhakatā
- to accomplish
- svayam
- oneself
- sādhu
- of the good
- saṅgama
- by the company
- sacchāstra
- and by true scripture
- tīkṣṇayā
- sharpened
- unnīyatē
- one raises
- dhiyā
- by an understanding
Meaning
The verse is given again from the last sarga (2.6.33), at a point where it can be read differently. There it defined the means; here it stands as the answer to the madman of the last verse. If that is the wrong use of energy, this is the right one, and the highest. The commentary specifies the action as the long course of body-work that is service to the teacher, together with hearing and the like. It helps to see that "one's own good" (sva-artha) is no selfish phrase. The self being served here is the true Self, and one reaches it through other people, through serving and being sharpened by them.