Lesson 112: Do Not Grieve
Index · Lesson 111: I Shall Release · Lesson 113: Wanting to Know
Lesson 47: Do Not Go builds the book’s own prohibition with मा स्म and a command: मा स्म गच्छ. A śloka often uses मा with a shorter verb, the injunctive. It looks like a bare stem with an ending, and it has no past-time अ. Learn the lines whole. The other persons wait on the later list.
| Line | Meaning |
|---|---|
| मा शुचः | do not grieve. शोक नगर। From शुच्, “grieve.” |
| मा भूः | do not become. नबन। From भू. |
| मा गाः | do not go. Already in lesson 47, to recognize. |
| मा कार्षीः | do not do. Already in lesson 47, to recognize. |
मा with अस्तु is also a prohibition. अस्तु is “let it be.” मा सङ्गः अस्तु। “Let attachment not be.”
The printed quarter of the भगवद्गीता is मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि. Open it with lessons 101 and 102.
| Verse | Apart, as this book writes it |
|---|---|
| हेतुर्भूः | हेतुः भूः. उः before a voiced consonant is र्. |
| भूर्मा | भूः मा. The same र्. |
| सङ्गोऽस्तु | सङ्गः अस्तु. अः before अ is ओऽ. |
| अस्त्वकर्मणि | अस्तु अकर्मणि. उ meets अ and becomes व्. |
मा कर्मफलहेतुः भूः। “Do not become one whose cause is the fruit of the deed.” मा ते सङ्गः अस्तु अकर्मणि। “Let your attachment not be in inaction.”
Practice
- Say मा शुचः and मा भूः.
- Open हेतुर्भूः into the two words this book writes.
- Open सङ्गोऽस्तु into सङ्गः and अस्तु.
Next
Lesson 113: Wanting to Know is जिज्ञासा and मुमुक्षुः.