Content

idaṅ hi duḥkhaṅ yadanarthakāni mē

vratāni dānāni ca saṅyamāśca hi.

tapaśca taptaṅ yadapatyakāraṇā-

tsuniṣphalaṅ bījamivōptamūṣarē৷৷2.20.52৷৷

Translation

mē my, vratāni mortifications, dānāni ca charitable gifts, saṅyamāśca self-restraint, anarthakānīti yat are all meaningless, idam this, duḥkham regret, apatyakāraṇāt for the sake of progeny, taptam practised, yat which, tapaḥ asceticism, ūṣarē in a barren land, uptam sown, bījam iva like a seed, suniṣphalam was fruitless.

My regret is that all my mortifications, gifts of charity and penances are of no avail. Even the asceticism which I practised for the sake of progeny was fruitless like a seed sown in a barren land.