4.40 agyaS chASradhdhadhAnaS cha

SrI:  SrImathE SatakOpAya nama:  SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama:  SrImath varavaramunayE nama:

Chapter 4

<< Chapter 4 verse 39

SlOkam – Original

agyaS chASradhdhadhAnaS cha samSayAthmA vinaSyathi |
nAyaṁ lOkO’sthi na parO na sukham samSayAthmana: ||

word-by-word meaning

agya: cha – one who is devoid of knowledge about self (which is acquired by instructions from the learned)
aSradhdhadhAna: – one who is not interested (in the means that improves such knowledge)
samSayAthmA cha – one who is doubtful (even after hearing the instructions)
vinaSyathi – will be finished;
samSayAthmana: – for the doubtful person
ayam lOka: nAsthi – there is no benefit in this world;
na para: (asthi) – there is no benefit of mOksham (liberation) in the other higher world also;
na sukham (asthi) – there is no happiness in the matters of AthmA

Simple Translation

One who is devoid of knowledge about self (which is acquired by instructions from the learned), one who is not interested (in the means that improves such knowledge) and one who is doubtful (even after hearing the instructions) will be finished; for the doubtful person there is no benefit in this world; there is no benefit of mOksham (liberation) in the other higher world also and no happiness in the matters of AthmA.

Rendering based on ALkoNdavilli gOvindhAchArya swAmy’s English translation of gIthA bhAshyam

‘The ignorant, non-earnest, skeptic-minded, perishes. To the skeptic-minded, this world is not, nor the other, nor happiness.’

A-jñaḥ or ignorant: is he who is uninstructed in wisdom.

A-śraddha-dhānaḥ or the non-earnest: is he who lacks faith or fervour, even after instruction.

The skeptic: is he who doubts the knowledge he has received.

The man of this disposition perishes. That is, that to the man who doubts the true nature of ātma, which is taught him, there is neither this material world, nor the other (svarga etc).

That is to say, he forfeits all the fruits of man’s ambition; dharma, artha and kāma[1. See commentary of verse 31. Dharma and Artha are Sādhanas (means); Kāma and Moksha are Sādhyas(ends or goals).]. while so, whence moksha?

For, all the ambitions of man are gratifiable by carrying out some one or the other of Śāstra-enjoined duties. And fulfilment of any desire is dependent on the conviction of an ātma existing distinct from the body.

Whoso doubts therefore the very existence of ātma cannot share in the smallest fraction of (spiritual) bliss.

>> Chapter 4 verse 41

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