यस्य नास्ति स्वयं प्रज्ञा शास्त्रं तस्य करोति किम् ।

yasya nāsti svayaṃ praj"ā shāstraṃ tasya karoti kim ।

लोचनाभ्यां विहीनस्य दर्पणः किं करिष्यति ॥

lochanābhyāṃ vihīnasya darpaṇaḥ kiṃ kariṣhyati ॥

 

English Meaning

How can a shāstra (scripture) help a person without self-intelligence? What will a mirror do for one blind in the eyes?

 

पदच्छेदः padacchedaḥ

yasya nāsti svayaṃ praj"ā shāstraṃ tasya karoti kim

lochanābhyāṃ vihīnasya darpaṇaḥ kiṃ kariṣhyati

 

अन्वयः anvayaḥ

yasya svayaṃ praj"ā nāsti tasya shāstraṃ kim karoti ।

lochanābhyāṃ vihīnasya darpaṇaḥ kiṃ kariṣhyati ॥

 

पदार्थः padārthaḥ 

yasya = one whose svayaṃ praj"ā = one's own intelligence, intellectual insight nāsti = not there tasya = his shāstraṃ = scripture, knowledge, a treatise on any topic, education kim karoti = what does it do? lochanābhyāṃ = from the two eyes, refers to the sense of sight vihīnasya = one who is devoid of darpaṇaḥ = mirror kiṃ kariṣhyati = what will it do

 

Significance

A source of authority in any subject is called a shāstra. For example, the Vedas are said to be the ultimate authority in living a balanced human life to attain peace (ānanda), as well as self-realization. The Bhagavad Gita is the authority on a guru's teachings to a student regarding god and the supreme divine consciousness. In our daily lives, we encounter and interact with several such authoritative texts.

 

Even when an authoritative text is available, the right interpretation and application of the concepts is dependent on the human intelligence of the student. If such intelligence is absent, the availability of any shāstra (authoritative source of knowledge) is useless.

 

 

Knowledge is only as good as the intelligence of the person who studies and implements it.  One's own intellectual temperament and spark is a primary condition if the shastras are to be useful. Thus, if we don"t learn to use our own intelligence (svayaṃ praj"ā), then we will either suffer in correct implementation of true knowledge or we will always be dependent on others who have the ability to use their intelligence.

 

The subhaṣitam provides the following thought-provoking example - imagine a blind person attempting to appreciate nature's beauty when they cannot even look at themselves in the mirror.  It also gives a subtle but profound message to focus efforts on where there is actually a possibility of obtaining the desired results, and not waste valuable time elsewhere.