ग्रामगो ग्राममाप्नोति पत्तनार्थी च पत्तनम् । यो यो यद्वासनस्तत्र स स प्रयतते सदा ॥ १५ ॥
grāmagō grāmamāpnōti pattanārthī ca pattanam | yō yō yadvāsanastatra sa sa prayatatē sadā || 15 ||
Translation
One going to a village reaches a village, one bound for a city, the city. Each one, whatever his tendency, always strives toward that.
Word by word
- grāma
- to a village
- gō
- (gaḥ) one going
- grāmam
- a village
- āpnōti
- reaches
- pattana
- for a city
- arthī
- one bound
- ca
- and
- pattanam
- the city
- yō
- (yaḥ) each one
- yad
- (yat) whatever
- vāsanas
- (vāsanaḥ) tendency
- tatra
- toward that
- sa
- (saḥ) he
- prayatatē
- strives
- sadā
- always
Meaning
An image from the road. Nobody heads for the village and arrives by accident at the city. What a person leans toward, he walks toward, and where he walks is where he gets to. The commentary: he who wishes for the city reaches the city. So the question of destiny is a question of direction. Asked "where will I end up?", one can only answer by looking at which way one's wishing is pointed, and has been for some years. It is an unsparing question, and a hopeful one too, since a traveller can turn.