na hi duḥkhena vinā sukhaṁ prāptaṁ kada cid api | na ca muktāyā vinā pāpmā | na snehāt sneho vināśyati |
“Never is happiness obtained without suffering; and one is not freed from sin without (previously having committed) sin; love does not perish except on account of love.”
Structure
na hi duḥkheṇa vinā sukhaṁ prāptaṁ kada cid api | na ca muktāyā vinā pāpmā | na snehāt sneho vināśyati
duḥkheṇa (with suffering) vinā (without) sukhaṁ (happiness) na hi (not indeed) kada cid api (ever) prāptaṁ (obtained)pāpmā (sinner) muktāyā (from liberation) vinā (without) na ca (not indeed) snehāt (from affection) sneho (affection) vināśyati (perishes)
Word-by-Word Grammar
| Word | IAST | Type | Grammar | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| na | na | indeclinable | — | not |
| hi | hi | indeclinable | — | indeed |
| duḥkheṇa | duḥkheṇa | noun | instrumental · singular · masculine | with suffering |
| vinā | vinā | indeclinable | — | without |
| sukhaṁ | sukhaṁ | noun | accusative · singular · neuter | happiness |
| prāptaṁ | prāptaṁ | verb | √prāp · past participle · third | obtained |
| kada | kada | indeclinable | — | ever |
| cid | cid | indeclinable | — | at all |
| api | api | indeclinable | — | also |
| na | na | indeclinable | — | not |
| ca | ca | indeclinable | — | and |
| muktāyā | muktāyā | noun | ablative · singular · feminine | from liberation |
| vinā | vinā | indeclinable | — | without |
| pāpmā | pāpmā | noun | nominative · singular · masculine | sin |
| na | na | indeclinable | — | not |
| snehāt | snehāt | noun | ablative · singular · masculine | from attachment |
| sneho | sneho | noun | nominative · singular · masculine | attachment |
| vināśyati | vināśyati | verb | √vināś · present · third | perishes |
Scholarly Commentary
Advaita Vedānta (Ādi Śaṅkarācārya): This verse underscores the concept of non-duality, as it points to the inherent interconnectedness of suffering and happiness, sin and liberation, and love and its transcendence. According to Shankara, the experience of duḥkha (suffering) is a catalyst for the realization of one's true nature, which is beyond the limitations of the empirical world. In his commentary on the Brahmasūtra, Shankara emphasizes that the ultimate reality, Brahman, is beyond the realm of suffering and happiness. This verse, in highlighting the impossibility of obtaining happiness without suffering, indirectly points to the brahman-ātman identity, where the individual self (ātman) is ultimately one with the universal reality (Brahman). Through this understanding, the distinctions between duḥkha and sukha, pāpma and mukti, and sneha and its negation, dissolve, revealing the non-dual essence that underlies all phenomena.
Vaiṣṇava tradition (Rāmānujācārya / Madhvācārya): This verse can be interpreted through the lens of the devotee's relationship with the divine. Rāmānujācārya would likely view the statement 'na hi duḥkhena vinā sukhaṁ prāptaṁ' as an affirmation of the necessity of experiencing the depths of human suffering to truly appreciate the bliss of divine communion. The concept of pāpma (sin) and mukti (liberation) would be understood in the context of the jīva's (individual soul's) relationship with Īśvara (the Lord), where sin is seen as a state of separation from the divine, and liberation as the state of being in union with God. For Madhvācārya, the emphasis might be on the role of bhakti (devotion) as the means to transcend both sin and the limitations of worldly love, leading to a profound and eternal bond with the divine, exemplified by the love of the gopīs for Krishna.
Neo-Vedānta (Swami Vivekānanda / S. Rādhākrishnan): Swami Vivekānanda would likely emphasize the universal applicability of this verse, focusing on its message of balance and the interconnectedness of opposites. In his lectures, Vivekānanda often stressed the importance of experiencing and understanding both sides of human experience to achieve true wisdom and inner peace. This verse, with its emphasis on the necessity of suffering for happiness, sin for liberation, and the potential for love to both unite and separate, speaks to the human condition in a way that transcends cultural and religious boundaries. Radhakrishnan, in his writings, might connect this verse to the concept of the 'two selves' - the empirical self and the transcendent self, suggesting that true liberation and fulfillment can only be achieved when the individual recognizes and integrates these two aspects of their being, thereby realizing their true nature beyond the duality of human experience.