SAUNDARANANDA 13.54: Not Any Old Effort, Please

kaaryaH parama-yatnena
tasmaad indriya-saMvaraH
indriyaaNi hy aguptaani
duHkhaaya ca bhavaaya ca

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13.54
Through effort of the highest order,

Therefore, contain the power of the senses;

For unguarded senses

Make for suffering and for becoming.

COMMENT:

From The Alexander Technique As I See It, by Patrick MacDonald:

In learning the Technique, considerable effort on the part of the pupil is required. A first step is to learn what sort of effort is necessary. The first essay nearly always produces more muscular tension, particularly in the neck, and this is exactly the opposite of what is required. The pupil must learn to stop doing, "to leave himself" in the hands of the teacher, neither tensing nor relaxing. Further, any emotional involvement in trying to learn what to do, or in what is going on, should be avoided. The best results are gained when a pupil can dissociate himself from what is happening, as if standing on one side watching someone else being taught. If he can do this for a time he will find himself taking his proper part in the process, with an awareness that is quite different and greatly enhanced. Alexander named the opposite of this kind of behavior "end-gaining" (i.e. the desire to bring about the end in view however wrong the means might be). He demonstrated that the quality of means employed brings about the kind of end arrived at, and that poor means invariably bring about a mediocre end. He showed that if a new kind of result was wanted, a new set of means would have to be used. This was not a startling new discovery; it had been said before. But it needs constant repetition, as there is still world-wide belief, against all evidence, that new results can be brought about by the same old methods.

EH Johnston:
Therefore one should strive one's hardest for the control of the senses ; for unguarded senses lead to suffering and the continuance of existence.

Linda Covill:
For this reason you should control your senses with the maximum of effort, for ungoverned senses make for sorrow and rebirth

VOCABULARY:
kaaryaH (nom. sg.): to be made
parama: (superlative of para) mfn. utmost, the highest
yatnena (instr.): with effort, strenuously

tasmaad: therefore
indriya: sense
saMvaraH = nom. sg. of saMvara (from saM-√vR): mfn. keeping back , stopping ; m. a dam , mound , bridge; m. shutting out the external world (with jainas one of the 7 or 9 tattvas) ; n. (with Buddhists) restraint , forbearance
saM-√vR: to cover up , enclose , hide , conceal; to put together or in order , arrange; to gather up (snares) ; to ward off , keep back , restrain , check , stop

indriyaaNi (nom./accu., plural): senses
hi: for
agupta: mfn. unhidden , unconcealed; unprotected ; unguarded

duHkhaaya (dative): for suffering
ca: and
bhavaaya (dative): for becoming
ca: and