SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
SlOkam – Original
SuklakrishNE gathI hyEthE jagatha: SASvathE mathE |
EkayA yAthyanAvruththim anyayA’’varthathE puna: ||
word-by-word meaning
EthE Sukla krishNE gathI – these two paths namely archirAdhi gathi and dhUmAdhi gathi
jagatha: – (respectively) for gyAnis and pious persons
SASvathE mathE – permanently ordained (in Sruthi).
EkayA – In archirAdhi gathi, which is one among these two
anAvruththim yAthi – one attains the goal of no-return (i.e., permanent bliss with brahmam).
anyayA – for the one who pursued the other, dhUmAdhi gathi
puna: AvarthathE – returns again (to karma bhUmi).
Simple Translation
These two paths namely archirAdhi gathi and dhUmAdhi gathi are permanently ordained (in Sruthi/vEdham) for gyAnis and pious persons respectively. In archirAdhi gathi, which is one among these two, one attains the goal of no-return (i.e., permanent bliss with brahmam). The one who pursued the other, dhUmAdhi gathi, returns again (to karma bhUmi).
Rendering based on ALkoNdavilli gOvindhAchArya swAmy’s English translation of gIthA bhAshyam
‘Verily are these Paths —the White and the Black— permanently ordained for the Kosmos. By the one, the non-returning (state) is reached, by the other, there is return again.’
The White Path is the archir-ādi, the Black is the dhūm-ādi. He who goes, by the White Path, goes to that, from which he returns not; but by the Dark Path, he turns back. The White is for the two kinds of the jñānis (the God-seeker, and the ātma-seeker), and the Black is for the man who does meritorious work (entitling him to reap material pleasures). These two Paths for the three kinds of devotees (wealth-seeker, soul-seeker and God-seeker), are thus declared in the Śruti:—
‘(1) Those who understand it (ātma) thus, and (2) those who in forest (retired place) meditate on Śraddhā-Tapas (or Mother-Father aspect of God), join the Archi(= the Bright Path). Then, those who in their own place (or village) devote themselves to sacrifices (=ishti), public works (=pūrtam=constructing tanks, wells etc)., charities (=dattam), and other pious acts (iti), join the Dhūma (= the Smoky Path)’[1. Chh: Up: V-10-1 and 3 ‘Tad Ya itthan vidur ye ch-eme `ranye Śraddhā-Tapa ity upāsate te `rchi-sham abhisambhavanti; atha ya ime grāma ishtā-pūrte dattam ity upāsate dhūmam abhisambhavanti’.].
archived in http://githa.koyil.org
pramEyam (goal) – http://koyil.org
pramANam (scriptures) – http://granthams.koyil.org
pramAthA (preceptors) – http://acharyas.koyil.org
SrIvaishNava education/kids portal – http://pillai.koyil.