6.44
पूर्वाभ्यासेन तेनैव ह्रियते ह्यवशोऽपि सः ।
जिज्ञासुरपि योगस्य शब्दब्रह्मातिवर्तते ॥
pūrvābhyāsena tenaiva hriyate hy avaśo 'pi saḥ
jijñāsur api yogasya śabdabrahmātivartate
Kṛṣṇa (कृष्ण) is still speaking.
The verse
By that very former practice he is carried, even against his will, and even one who only wishes to know yoga goes beyond the brahman of the word.
नेपालीमा
त्यही अघिल्लो अभ्यासले उसलाई लैजान्छ, उसको इच्छाविरुद्ध पनि। योग जान्न मात्र चाहने पनि शब्दको ब्रह्मभन्दा पर जान्छ।
Where it sits
6.43 was the understanding returning. This verse is the practice pulling him, willing or not. Even a beginner who wants to know passes the sacred word and goes on. The full going is 6.45.
Split: पूर्व-अभ्यासेन + तेन + एव + ह्रियते + हि + अवशः + अपि + सः + जिज्ञासुः + अपि + योगस्य + शब्द-ब्रह्म + अतिवर्तते
pūrva-abhyāsena + tena + eva + hriyate + hi + avaśaḥ + api + saḥ + jijñāsuḥ + api + yogasya + śabda-brahma + ativartate
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| देवनागरी | Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|---|
| पूर्व-अभ्यासेन | pūrva-abhyāsena | instrumental singular | by the former practice. |
| तेन | tena | instrumental singular | by that. |
| एव | eva | indeclinable | that very. |
| ह्रियते | hriyate | present passive | he is carried. From hṛ (हृ). |
| हि | hi | indeclinable | indeed. |
| अवशः | avaśaḥ | nominative singular | without his own power, not willing it. |
| अपि | api | indeclinable | even. |
| सः | saḥ | nominative singular | he. |
| जिज्ञासुः | jijñāsuḥ | nominative singular | one who wishes to know. Desiderative of jñā (ज्ञा). |
| अपि | api | indeclinable | even. |
| योगस्य | yogasya | genitive singular | of yoga. |
| शब्द-ब्रह्म | śabda-brahma | accusative singular | the brahman that is the word. The sacred word, the Veda as sound. |
| अतिवर्तते | ativartate | present, 3rd singular, middle | he goes beyond. |
The phrases
pūrvābhyāsena tena eva hriyate (पूर्वाभ्यासेन तेन एव ह्रियते) is the pull of the old practice. He is carried by that very former practice. avaśaḥ api (अवशः अपि) says the carrying happens even when he is not choosing it.
jijñāsuḥ api yogasya (जिज्ञासुः अपि योगस्य) lowers the bar. Even one who only wants to know yoga. śabdabrahma ativartate (शब्दब्रह्म अतिवर्तते): he goes beyond the brahman that is only the word.
tena eva (तेन एव) is tenaiva (तेनैव). hi avaśaḥ api (हि अवशः अपि) is hyavaśo 'pi (ह्यवशोऽपि). jijñāsuḥ api (जिज्ञासुः अपि) is jijñāsurapi (जिज्ञासुरपि). śabdabrahma ativartate (शब्दब्रह्म अतिवर्तते) is śabdabrahmātivartate (शब्दब्रह्मातिवर्तते).
Sanskrit in this line
hriyate (ह्रियते) is the passive of hṛ (हृ), "carry." The subject saḥ (सः) is carried. The carrier is instrumental, pūrvābhyāsena (पूर्वाभ्यासेन). avaśaḥ api (अवशः अपि) is concessive, "even though he is not in control," the same api (अपि) as vartamāno 'pi (वर्तमानोऽपि) in 6.31. jijñāsu (जिज्ञासु) is a desiderative noun: he wants to know. The desiderative stem is what makes "wants to" without a separate verb.
Say it back
What carries him, even when he is avaśaḥ (अवशः), and what even the inquirer passes. If śabdabrahma (शब्दब्रह्म) is said as the goal he stops at, ativartate (अतिवर्तते) has been reversed.