ये समुद्योगमुत्सृज्य स्थिता दैवपरायणाः । ते धर्ममर्थं कामं च नाशयन्त्यात्मविद्विषः ॥ ३ ॥
yē samudyōgamutsṛjya sthitā daivaparāyaṇāḥ | tē dharmamarthaṁ kāmaṁ ca nāśayantyātmavidviṣaḥ || 3 ||
Translation
Those who give up exertion and sit relying on fate destroy duty, wealth and desire: they are enemies of themselves.
Word by word
- yē
- those who
- samudyōgam
- exertion
- utsṛjya
- give up
- sthitā
- (sthitāḥ) sit
- daiva
- on fate
- parāyaṇāḥ
- relying
- tē
- they
- dharmam
- duty
- arthaṁ
- wealth
- kāmaṁ
- desire
- ca
- and
- nāśayanty
- (nāśayanti) destroy
- ātma
- of themselves
- vidviṣaḥ
- enemies
Meaning
The reverse of the promise. Three of the human aims are named, dharma, artha and kāma, and the commentary adds the fourth, liberation. The fatalist imagines that he at least keeps what he has. Vasiṣṭha says that he actively destroys (nāśayanti): to do nothing is not neutral. Duties lapse, resources run down, even pleasure goes stale. The closing phrase is the sting, ātma-vidviṣaḥ, "haters of their own selves". No outside enemy is needed. Anyone who has watched a capable friend wait year after year for the right moment knows how much harm a person can do himself by only sitting still.