अशुभाच्चालितं याति शुभं तस्मादपीतरत् । जन्तोश्चित्तं तु शिशुवत्तस्मात्तच्चालयेद् बलात् ॥ ३२ ॥
aśubhāccālitaṁ yāti śubhaṁ tasmādapītarat | jantōścittaṁ tu śiśuvattasmāttaccālayēd balāt || 32 ||
Translation
Moved from the bad, it goes to the good; and from that, to the other. The mind of a creature is like a child; therefore one should move it, by force.
Word by word
- aśubhāc
- (aśubhāt) from the bad
- cālitaṁ
- moved
- yāti
- it goes
- śubhaṁ
- to the good
- tasmād
- (tasmāt) from that
- api
- and
- itarat
- to the other
- jantōś
- (jantoḥ) of a creature
- cittaṁ
- the mind
- tu
- indeed
- śiśuvat
- like a child
- tat
- it
- cālayēd
- (cālayet) one should move
- balāt
- by force
Meaning
Why it can be done. The mind is movable, as a child is. Lift a child away from the fire, and it will take up the toy. Another commentary gives a saying of the yoga tradition: the river of the mind flows in two streams, merit and sin; block one, and it runs with double force in the other. The warning is there too: "and from that, to the other". What was brought to the good may slide back. A mind has to be watched as a child is watched, without despair over its restlessness and without leaving it alone. Children are not evil for wandering.