मनोबुद्धिवदप्येतद्दैवं नेहाऽनुभूयते । आगोपालं कृतप्रज्ञैस्तेन दैवमसत्सदा ॥ ११ ॥
manōbuddhivadapyētaddaivaṁ nēhā’nubhūyatē | āgōpālaṁ kṛtaprajñaistēna daivamasatsadā || 11 ||
Translation
This fate is not experienced here even as mind and understanding are. So from cowherds to scholars, it is known to be for ever unreal.
Word by word
- manō
- (manaḥ) mind
- buddhivad
- (buddhivat) and understanding as
- api
- even
- ētad
- this
- daivaṁ
- fate
- na
- not
- iha
- here
- anubhūyatē
- is experienced
- āgōpālaṁ
- from cowherds
- kṛta
- ripe
- prajñais
- (prajñaiḥ) to those of wisdom
- tēna
- so
- asat
- unreal
- sadā
- for ever
Meaning
Fate might be invisible and still real, as the mind is. The mind cannot be seen, and yet everyone is acquainted with it from inside. So the question is put from a new side: is fate at least known within? No: a-gopālam, "down to the cowherd", and kṛta-prajñaiḥ, "up to those of ripe wisdom", nobody finds it. The commentary: it has been felt by no one, from children to the learned. What we have within is hopes, fears, memories. The feeling "this was meant to be" is a feeling, and it is real; what it claims to report is not. Vasiṣṭha's sweep is plain and democratic. A cowherd's report counts here just as much as a sage's.