वासनौघेन शुद्धेन तत्र चेदद्य नीयसे । तत्क्रमेण शुभेनैव पदं प्राप्स्यसि शाश्वतम् ॥ २६ ॥
vāsanaughēna śuddhēna tatra cēdadya nīyasē | tatkramēṇa śubhēnaiva padaṁ prāpsyasi śāśvatam || 26 ||
Translation
If today you are being led by the flood of pure tendencies, then by that good path, step by step, you will reach the lasting state.
Word by word
- vāsanā
- of tendencies
- ōghēna
- by the flood
- śuddhēna
- pure
- tatra
- then
- cēd
- (cet) if
- adya
- today
- nīyasē
- you are being led
- tat
- by that
- kramēṇa
- step by step
- śubhēna
- good
- ēva
- indeed
- padaṁ
- state
- prāpsyasi
- you will reach
- śāśvatam
- the lasting
Meaning
First case. If what is moving you now is good, go along with it. The commentary: the good tendencies of your past are bringing you to good now. There is nothing to fight, only something to keep up, and krameṇa, "step by step", tells how. The verse may be read as an encouragement to notice. The very fact that a person is reading such a text, and wants to live better, is the old good current already at work. It deserves more trust than it usually gets.