16.30
asy' aabhyupaayo 'dhigamaaya maargaH
prajNaa-tri-kalpaH prashama-dvi-kalpaH
sa bhaavaniiyo vidhivad budhena
shiile shucau tri-pramukhe sthitena.
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16.30
A means of gaining that end is the path
Of threefold wisdom and twofold tranquillity.
It should be cultivated, using conscious means,
by a wakener of consciousness --
Abiding in untainted threefold integrity.
16.31
vaak-karma samyak saha-kaaya-karma
yathaavad aajiiva-nayash ca shuddhaH
idaM trayaM vRtta-vidhau pravRttaM
shiil'aashrayaM karma-parigrahaaya
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16.31
Using the voice well and the body in tandem,
And making a clean living in a suitable manner:
These three, forming the protocol on conduct,
Are for the mastery, based on integrity, of one's actions.
16.32
satyeShu duHkh'-aadiShu dRShTir aaryaa
samyag vitarkash ca paraakramash ca
idaM triyaM jNaana-vidhau pravRttaM
prajN"-aasrayam klesha-parikShayaaya
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16.32
Noble insight into the truths,
beginning with the truth of suffering,
Along with thinking straight, and initiative:
These three, forming the protocol on knowing,
Are for dissolution, based on wisdom, of afflictions.
16.33
nyaayena saty'-aabhigamaaya yuktaa
samyak smRtiH samyag atho samaadhiH
idaM dvayaM yoga-vidhau pravRttaM
sham'aashrayaM citta-parigrahaaya
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16.33
Harnessed to principle so as to lead to the truths
Is true mindfulness, which goes with true balance:
These two, forming the protocol on formal practice,
Are for mastery, based on tranquillity, of the mind.
16.34
klesh'-aaGkuraan na pratanoti shiilaM
biij'-aaGkuraan kaala iv' aativRttaH
shucau hi shiile puruShasya doShaa
manaH sa-lajjaa iva dharShayanti
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16.34
Integrity no more propagates the shoots of affliction
Than a bygone spring propagates shoots from seeds.
The faults, as long as a man's integrity is untainted,
Venture only timidly to attack his mind.
16.35
kleshaaMs tu viShkambhayate samaadhir
vegaan iv' aadrir mahato nadiinaaM
sthite samaadhau hi na dharShayanti
doshaa bhujaMgaa iva mantra-baddhaaH
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16.35
But balance casts off afflictions
Like a mountain the mighty torrents of rivers.
As long as one remains in balance,
the faults do not attack:
Like charmed snakes, they are spellbound.
16.36
prajNaa tv a-sheSheNa nihanti doShaaMs
tiira-drumaan praavRShi nimnag" eva
dagdhaa yayaa na prabhavanti doShaa
vajr-aagnin" ev' aanusRtena vRkShaaH
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16.36
And wisdom destroys the faults without trace,
As a mountain stream in the monsoon
destroys the trees on its banks.
Faults consumed by wisdom stand no chance,
Like trees struck and burnt by a thunderbolt.
16.37
tri-skandham etaM pravigaahya maargaM
prapaShTam aShT'-aaNgam a-haaryam aaryaM
duHkhasya hetuun prajahaati doShaan
praapnoti c'aatyanta-shivaM padaM tat
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16.37
Giving oneself to this path with its three divisions
And eight branches
-- this straightforward, irremovable, noble path --
One abandons the faults,
which are the causes of suffering,
And comes to that step which is total well-being.
16.38
asy' opacaare dhRtir aarjavaM ca
hriir apramaadaH praviviktataa ca
alp'ecchataa tuShTir asaMgataa ca
loka-pravRttaav aratiH kShamaa ca
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16.38
Attendant on it are constancy and straightness;
Modesty, attentiveness, and reclusiveness;
Wanting little, contentment,
and freedom from forming attachments;
No fondness for worldly activity, and forbearance.
16.39
yaathaatmyato vindati yo hi duHkhaM
tasy' odbhavaM tasya ca yo nirodhaM
aaryeNa maargeNa sa shaantim eti
kalyaaNa-mitraiH saha vartamaanaH
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16.39
For he who knows suffering as it really is,
Who knows its starting and its stopping:
It is he who reaches peace by the noble path --
Going along with friends in the good.
16.40
yo vyaadhito vyaadhim avaiti samyag
vyaadher nidaanaM ca tad-auShadhaM ca
aarogyam aapnoti hi so 'cireNa
mitrair abhijNair upacaryamaaNaH
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16.40
He who fully appreciates his illness,
as the illness it is,
Who sees the cause of the illness
and its remedy:
It is he who wins, before long,
freedom from disease --
Attended by friends in the know.
16.41
tad vyaadhi-saMjNaaM kuru duHkha-satye
doSheShv' api vyaadhi-nidaana-saMjNaaM
aarogya-saMjNaaM ca nirodha-satye
bhaiShajya-saMjNaaM api maarga-satye
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16.41
So with regard to the truth of suffering,
see suffering as an illness;
With regard to the faults,
see the faults as the cause of the illness;
With regard to the truth of stopping,
see stopping as freedom from disease;
And with regard to the truth of a path,
see a path as a remedy.
16.42
tasmaat pravRttiM parigaccha duHkhaM
pravartakaan apy avagaccha doShaan
nivRttim aagaccha ca tan-nirodhaM
nivartakaM c' aapy avagaccha maargaM
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16.42
Then comprehend that suffering is doing
And see the faults setting it moving, forward.
Realise its stopping as non-doing,
And know the path as a turning back.
COMMENT:
In the first line of 16.31, I think that saha might be intended to convey a sense of "word to fit the action; action to fit the word." Using the self well, in other words, is not only a matter of talking a good talk.
Reviewing my efforts on this canto last year, the main fault I perceive is that I put too much effort into the comments section, and not enough effort into exact understanding of the Sanskrit grammar in the vocabulary section.
The golden key in working on the self, Marjory Barlow taught me, is to be prepared to be wrong.
I can't help feeling that my dismal duty as a translator, however, is to strive to get it right.
I am looking forward to finishing this editing/review of Canto 16, which definitely feels like trying to get it right, and returning next week to the normal unambitious rhythm of one verse per day.
If sitting-dhyana is a backward step of dropping off faults through integrity, balance and wisdom (or through integrity, wisdom and balance), then translation work is a forward step which easily invites the practice of one's faults, like the fault of having a view, and like the fault of thirsting for a good result. Hence the merit of restricting the pace of translation by some artificial rule, like a British teenager on a speed-restricted motorbike.
Actually I could spend the rest of 2010 just working on the last verse in the present series, producing a new translation every day.
16.42
tasmaat pravRttiM parigaccha duHkhaM
pravartakaan apy avagaccha doShaan
nivRttim aagaccha ca tan-nirodhaM
nivartakaM c' aapy avagaccha maargaM
On this basis, realise suffering as doing,
Realise the faults as triggers of its advance,
Realise its stopping as non-doing,
And realise the path as a backward step...
If you would like to try your own version, be my guest in the comments section.
How can a translation of words like these ever be anything other than a work in progress?
My trying to get it right is always a delusion. And yet it goes on, triggered by faults.
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