Chapter 18 · Verse 46

Yoga through the Perfection of Renunciation and Surrender

यतः प्रवृत्तिर्भूतानां येन सर्वमिदं ततम्।स्वकर्मणा तमभ्यर्च्य सिद्धिं विन्दति मानवः
yataḥ pravṛittir bhūtānāṁ yena sarvam idaṁ tatam sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarchya siddhiṁ vindati mānavaḥ

Word Meanings

yataḥ — from whom; pravṛittiḥ — have come into being; bhūtānām — of all living entities; yena — by whom; sarvam — all; idam — this; tatam — pervaded; sva-karmaṇā — by one’s natural occupation; tam — him; abhyarchya — by worshipping; siddhim — perfection; vindati — attains; mānavaḥ — a person

Translation

By worshipping Him from whom all beings arise and by whom all this is pervaded, through the performance of one's own duty, a person attains perfection.

Commentary

यतः from whom? प्रवृत्तिः (is) the evolution? भूतानाम् of beings? येन by whom? सर्वम् all? इदम् this? ततम् is pervaded? स्वकर्मणा with his own duty? तम् Him? अभ्यर्च्य worshipping? सिद्धिम् perfection? विन्दति attains? मानवः man.Commentary The performance by a man of his own duty is simply carrying into effect the intention of the Supreme from Whom the whole of the creation emanates. When a man worships Him? the Supreme Being? with the flowers of his action? then He is immensely pleased and being thus gratified by such worship He confers on Him? as a boon? dispassion and discrimination.Pravritti Evolution or activity it proceeds from the Lord? the Antaryamin? the Inner Ruler.Bhutanam Beings living creatures.Svakarmana With his own duty each according to his caste as described above.Man attains perfection by worshipping the Lord by performing his own duty? i.e.? he becomes alified for the dawn of Selfknowledge (for Jnana Yoga).