आलूनशीर्णमाभोगि जगदाजह्रुरोजसा । पौरुषेणैव यत्नेन दानवेभ्यः सुरेश्वराः ॥ २३ ॥
ālūnaśīrṇamābhōgi jagadājahrurōjasā | pauruṣēṇaiva yatnēna dānavēbhyaḥ surēśvarāḥ || 23 ||
- Another reading: जगदाजहुरोजसा (jagadājahurōjasā) for जगदाजह्रुरोजसा
Translation
And cutting down and shattering them, the lords of the gods by their might took back this wide world from the demons, by effort and striving alone.
Word by word
- ālūna
- cutting down
- śīrṇam
- and shattering
- ābhōgi
- wide
- jagad
- (jagat) world
- ājahrur
- (ājahruḥ) took back
- ōjasā
- by their might
- pauruṣēṇa
- by effort
- ēva
- alone
- yatnēna
- and striving
- dānavēbhyaḥ
- from the demons
- sura
- of the gods
- īśvarāḥ
- the lords
Meaning
The other half of the same story. The world is won from the gods by effort, and it is won back by effort, and the same phrase closes both verses. The commentary reads the first words as cutting down and tearing to pieces the enemy's army. Another commentary sums it up: the fate even of fate is effort. So no state of affairs is permanent, and none is owed to anybody. A family, a business or a country that has lost what it had did not lose it by decree. And those who have it now hold it on the same terms.