12.10
अभ्यासेऽप्यसमर्थोऽसि मत्कर्मपरमो भव ।
मदर्थमपि कर्माणि कुर्वन्सिद्धिमवाप्स्यसि ॥
abhyāse 'py asamartho 'si matkarmaparamo bhava
madartham api karmāṇi kurvan siddhim avāpsyasi
Kṛṣṇa (कृष्ण) continues. api (अपि) marks the person who cannot take the rung of 12.9 either.
The verse
If you are unable even for practice, be one whose highest is action for me; even doing actions for my sake, you will reach the attainment.
नेपालीमा
यदि अभ्यासमा पनि असमर्थ छौ भने, मेरा लागि कर्म नै सर्वोच्च भएको बन। मेरो खातिर कर्म गरे पनि तिमी सिद्धिमा पुग्नेछौ।
Where it sits
12.9 gave practice to the one who cannot fix the mind. This verse gives work done for him to the one who cannot practice. The ladder is still going down, and the end is still a reaching.
Split: अभ्यासे + अपि + असमर्थः + असि + मत्-कर्म-परमः + भव + मत्-अर्थम् + अपि + कर्माणि + कुर्वन् + सिद्धिम् + अवाप्स्यसि
abhyāse + api + asamarthaḥ + asi + mat-karma-paramaḥ + bhava + mat-artham + api + karmāṇi + kurvan + siddhim + avāpsyasi
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| देवनागरी | Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|---|
| अभ्यासे | abhyāse | locative singular | in practice. |
| अपि | api | indeclinable | even. |
| असमर्थः | asamarthaḥ | nominative singular | unable. samartha (समर्थ) "capable," with a- (अ-). |
| असि | asi | present, 2nd singular of as (अस्) | you are. |
| मत्-कर्म-परमः | mat-karma-paramaḥ | nominative singular, bahuvrīhi (बहुव्रीहि) | one for whom action for me is the highest. |
| भव | bhava | imperative, 2nd singular of bhū (भू) | be. Become. |
| मत्-अर्थम् | mat-artham | accusative, adverbial | for my sake. artha (अर्थ) "aim, sake." |
| अपि | api | indeclinable | even. |
| कर्माणि | karmāṇi | accusative plural | actions. |
| कुर्वन् | kurvan | present participle, nominative singular | doing. From kṛ (कृ). |
| सिद्धिम् | siddhim | accusative | attainment. The end reached. |
| अवाप्स्यसि | avāpsyasi | future, 2nd singular | you will reach. From ava-āp (अव-आप्). |
The phrases
abhyāse api asamarthaḥ asi (अभ्यासे अपि असमर्थः असि) is the person. If you are unable even in practice. The locative abhyāse (अभ्यासे) is the rung he cannot stand on.
मत्कर्मपरमः भव matkarmaparamo bhava is the command for that person. Be someone whose highest work is action for me. The bahuvrīhi (बहुव्रीहि) is what he is told to become. mat-karma-paramaḥ bhava (मत्-कर्म-परमः भव) is recited matkarmaparamo bhava (मत्कर्मपरमो भव): aḥ (अः) before the voiced bh (भ्) becomes o (ओ).
मदर्थम् अपि कर्माणि कुर्वन् सिद्धिम् अवाप्स्यसि madartham api karmāṇi kurvan siddhim avāpsyasi is the promise on that command. Even doing actions for my sake, you will reach the attainment. मत्-अर्थम् mat-artham is recited madartham (मदर्थम्): t (त्) before a vowel becomes d (द्). kurvan (कुर्वन्) agrees with the you of avāpsyasi (अवाप्स्यसि).
Sanskrit in this line
abhyāse api asamarthaḥ asi (अभ्यासे अपि असमर्थः असि) is recited abhyāse 'py asamartho 'si (अभ्यासेऽप्यसमर्थोऽसि). Three joins. ए + अ e + a drops the a (अ) of api (अपि): abhyāse 'pi (अभ्यासेऽपि). इ + अ i + a makes apy asamarthaḥ (अप्यसमर्थः). अः + अ aḥ + a makes asamartho 'si (असमर्थोऽसि). Read the split when you parse, and the avagrahas when you recite.
Say it back
The inability, then what he is told to be. If mat-karma (मत्-कर्म) comes out as action done for the fruit, stay here.