अत्रैकं पौरुषं यत्नं वर्जयित्वेतरा गतिः । सर्वदुःखक्षयप्राप्तौ न काचिदुपपद्यते ॥ १४ ॥
atraikaṁ pauruṣaṁ yatnaṁ varjayitvētarā gatiḥ | sarvaduḥkhakṣayaprāptau na kācidupapadyatē || 14 ||
Translation
Here, apart from the one effort of endeavour, no other way is found to reach the ending of all sorrow.
Word by word
- atra
- here
- ēkaṁ
- the one
- pauruṣaṁ
- of endeavour
- yatnaṁ
- effort
- varjayitvā
- apart from
- itarā
- other
- gatiḥ
- way
- sarva
- all
- duḥkha
- sorrow
- kṣaya
- the ending
- prāptau
- to reach
- na
- no
- kācid
- (kācit) any
- upapadyatē
- is found
Meaning
Endeavour (pauruṣa), one's own effort, is the great theme of the Mumukṣu Prakaraṇa, and Vasiṣṭha returns to it. The commentary: in this world the one means to the end of all sorrow is human effort; leaving it aside, no other way can be found. Grace, fate and gods are not denied; but none of them makes the effort unnecessary.