Verse 2.1.98

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 2.1.98:

श्री-ब्राह्मण उवाच— श्रूत्वा बहु-विधं साध्यं साधनं च ततस् ततः ।
प्राप्यं कृत्यं च निर्णेतुं न किञ्चिच् छक्यते मया ॥ ९८ ॥

śrī-brāhmaṇa uvāca— śrūtvā bahu-vidhaṃ sādhyaṃ sādhanaṃ ca tatas tataḥ |
prāpyaṃ kṛtyaṃ ca nirṇetuṃ na kiñcic chakyate mayā || 98 ||

śrī-brāhmaṇaḥ uvāca–the brāhmaṇa said; śrutvā–hearing; bahuvidham–many kinds; sādhyam–goals of life; sādhanam–practices of attainment; ca–also; tataḥ tataḥ–from many places; prāpyam–goal worthy of achievement; kṛtyam–worthy deed to be done; ca–also; nirṇetum–to determine; na–not; kiñcit–anything; śakyate–able; mayā–by me.

The brāhmaṇa said, “On the banks of the Gaṅgā in Kāśī and in other places, I have heard about many goals of life and many practices to achieve them. Nevertheless, I am unable to determine what is my spiritual goal and what means I should adopt to achieve it.

Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda

(By Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī himself including a deep purport of that commentary)

The brāhmaṇa says, “On the bank of the Gaṅgā, in places like Kāśī and Prayāga, I have heard about different goals, such as heaven (Svarga), and liberation from the bondage of this world (mokṣa). I have also heard about the means to achieve them, such as fruitive activities, or karma, and empirical knowledge, or jñāna. This has left me ridden with doubt. Which of these goals and their means is the foremost? What discipline, or sādhana, must one adopt to receive the combined benefit of all practices put together? My mind is bewildered by hearing innumerable propositions, and I am unable to decide anything in this regard.”