प्रधानशक्तिनियमः सुप्रतिष्ठो न चेद्भवेत् । तत्फलं शक्त्यधीनत्वान्नेहितानां क्वचिद्भवेत् ॥ ३४ ॥
pradhānaśaktiniyamaḥ supratiṣṭhō na cēdbhavēt | tatphalaṁ śaktyadhīnatvānnēhitānāṁ kvacidbhavēt || 34 ||
Translation
If the rule of the chief power were not well established, the fruit of efforts would never come about, since it depends on the power.
Word by word
- pradhāna
- of the chief
- śakti
- power; the power
- niyamaḥ
- the rule
- supratiṣṭhō
- (supratiṣṭhaḥ) well established
- na
- not
- cēd
- (cet) if
- bhavēt
- were; would come about
- tat
- the
- phalaṁ
- fruit
- adhīnatvān
- (adhīnatvāt) since it depends on
- īhitānāṁ
- of efforts
- kvacid
- (kvacit) ever
Meaning
The commentary: the fruit of the order of acts too depends on the resolve of the chief. If the chief power's rule were not firmly set, no striving would bear fruit, for its fruit depends on that power. Another commentary gives the same sense in positive form: only when the chief power's rule is duly kept do efforts bear fruit.