न वै चरसि यच्छ्रेय आत्मनो वा यदीहसे । अकामात्मापि हि सदा धुरमुद्यम्य चैव हि ॥
na vai carasi yacchreya ātmano vā yadīhase | akāmātmāpi hi sadā dhuramudyamya caiva hi ||
You do not pursue what is truly good for yourself, nor what you actually strive for; even without desire, you are always taking up the yoke and carrying it.
तुम न वह करते हो जो तुम्हारे लिए सचमुच कल्याणकारी है, न वह जिसकी तुम चेष्टा करते हो; बिना चाहे भी सदा बोझ उठाए ही चलते हो।
Meaning today and contextआज के लिए अर्थ और संदर्भ
We carry many burdens out of habit, often not even the ones we chose, and still miss what is truly good for us.
हम आदत से बहुत से बोझ ढोते हैं, अक्सर वे भी नहीं जो हमने चुने, और फिर भी उससे चूक जाते हैं जो हमारे लिए सचमुच अच्छा है।
Mahabharata 12.170.6: Shamyaka, as Bhishma reports his words (the canonical speaker is Bhishma), addressing a listener (or himself): you do not pursue what is truly good for you, though even without wanting it you are always carrying the burden.