अव्युत्पन्नमना यावद्भवानज्ञाततत्पदः । गुरुशास्त्रप्रमाणैस्तु निर्णीतं तावदाचर ॥ ४१ ॥
avyutpannamanā yāvadbhavānajñātatatpadaḥ | guruśāstrapramāṇaistu nirṇītaṁ tāvadācara || 41 ||
Translation
As long as your mind is unripe and you do not know that state, for that long practise what has been settled by teacher, scripture and the means of knowledge.
Word by word
- avyutpanna
- unripe
- manā
- your mind
- yāvad
- (yāvat) as long as
- bhavān
- you
- ajñāta
- do not know
- tat
- that
- padaḥ
- state
- guru
- by teacher
- śāstra
- scripture
- pramāṇais
- (pramāṇaiḥ) and the means of knowledge
- tu
- indeed
- nirṇītaṁ
- what has been settled
- tāvad
- (tāvat) for that long
- ācara
- practise
Meaning
How long must this go on? The commentary sets the question, and the verse answers: until you know. Before insight one should not make up one's own rules. What has been tested, by teacher (guru), scripture (śāstra) and sound reasoning (pramāṇa), is to be followed. Avyutpanna means untrained, not yet ripened. It takes humility to admit that one is there. Many people's troubles on the spiritual road begin when they stop following before they have arrived.