SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
SlOkam – Original
yE mE matham idham nithyam anuthishtanthi mAnavA: |
SraddhAvanthO’nasUyanthO muchyanthE thE’pi karmabhi: ||
word-by-word meaning
yE mAnavA: – those qualified persons
idham – this
mE matham – my philosophy
nithyam anuthishtanthi – always practicing
yE SradhdhAvantha: – (even if they are not practicing) at least they are being faithful
yE anasUyantha: – (even if they are not faithful) at least they are not jealous
thE api – those three types of people
karmabhi: muchyanthE – are freed from all puNya (virtuous) and pApa (sinful) karmas
Simple Translation
Those qualified persons who are always practicing my philosophy, those who are (even if they are not practicing) at least being faithful and those who are (even if they are not faithful) at least not jealous, those three types of people are freed from all puNya (virtuous) and pApa (sinful) karmas.
Rendering based on ALkoNdavilli gOvindhAchArya swAmy’s English translation of gIthA bhAshyam
‘Whoso, men, will follow this eternal behest of Mine, filled with faith or (at least) void of ill-will, shall be released from all deeds.’
Mānavas=men, the descendants of Manu[1. Belonging to the Solar Dynasty.], and therefore the followers of Śāstras. They determine to themselves what the main import of the Śāstras is, —which(Śāstras) are no other than My Will formulated— and conduct themselves in accordance therewith.
There are those, who, if they cannot bring the Śāstra-canons into practice personally, may yet be faithful believers in the tenets inculcated therein.
There may again be those, who though not earnest and believing, may not yet range themselves with blasphemers, and doubt the truthfulness, authority (and so on) of the Śāstra-injunctions ; in other words, who will not try to detect errors in Śāstras, laying claim, as they may, to perfection.
All these three classes of men shall be delivered from the effects of their vast accumulation of past fructescent deeds, causing their bondage.
Te ‘pi= they also, or at least they: referring to the unvilifying class, is to impressively show that even if they be not men of earnestness, but if only they keep a passive attitude, they are entitled to salvation (gradually.)
This verse thus declares that even those who are unable to exemplify the Śāstra-teaching by actual conduct, but if they are earnest in believing its precepts; and that even those who may not be earnest, but if they at least do not blaspheme, are entitled to absolution from past deeds, the cause of bondage. The (positive) attitude of faith or at least the (negative) attitude of absence of ill-will gradually leads them on to actual conduct as enjoined by Śāstra, and then on to liberation (moksha) finally.
The evil to the non-observers of Aupanishad-commandments, the non-earnest, and the blasphemers, is stated thus:—
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