Wednesday, December 17, 2008

SAUNDARANANDA 3.3; This Also Is Not It

3.3
atha mokSHA-vaadinam AaraaDam
upashama-matiM tath'ODrakam
tattva-kRta-matir upaasya jahaav
ayam apy a-maarga iti maarga-kovidhaH

Then he served under Arada,
champion of freedom,

And likewise under Udraka,
who inclined towards quietness --

He served them, his heart set on truth,
and he left them.

He who intuited the path intuited:
"This also is not it."


VOCABULARY:
atha: then
mokSHA: freedom, release
vaadin: speaking on, being a proponent of, championing
AaraaDam: (accusative) to/under Arada

upashama: cessation, extinction, quiet
mati: inclination, purpose, thought, design
tatha: likewise
UDrakam: (accusative) to/under Udraka

tattva: truth, the truth
kRta-mati: mind made up, heart set on
upaasya: attend, honour, serve
jahaav = from root haa: leave, abandon

ayam: this
api: also
a-maarga: not the path
iti: thus [he intuited]
maarga: path
kovidhaH: knowing well, apprehending intuitively


EH Johnston:
Then, with His mind fixed on the ultimate truth, He sat at the feet of Arada, who preached emancipation and of Udraka who held the doctrine of quietude, but left them, deciding in His discrimination of Paths that theirs was not the right path.

Linda Covill:
Then, still bent on truth, he became the disciple of Arada, who spoke of liberation, and likewise of Udraka, who inclined to quietism. But in his wisdom concerning paths he left them, aware that theirs were not the right paths.

No comments: