देवदेवो महानेष कुतो दूरादवाप्यते । तपसा केन तीव्रेण क्लेशेन कियताऽथवा ॥ ८ ॥
dēvadēvō mahānēṣa kutō dūrādavāpyatē | tapasā kēna tīvrēṇa klēśēna kiyatā’thavā || 8 ||
Translation
From how far off is this great God of gods reached? By what fierce austerity, or by how much hardship?
Word by word
- dēvadēvō
- (devadevaḥ) the God of gods
- mahān
- great
- ēṣa
- this
- kutō
- (kutaḥ) from how
- dūrād
- (dūrāt) far off
- avāpyatē
- is reached
- tapasā
- by austerity
- kēna
- what
- tīvrēṇa
- fierce
- klēśēna
- by hardship
- kiyatā
- how much
- athavā
- or
Meaning
Rāma's question is that of anyone who has been told the goal is near and still feels it far. The commentary: by what means is he reached most quickly? And if by knowledge, by what difficult austerity, or how much hardship, is that knowledge got? He expects a price.