दुर्लभान्यपि कार्याणि सिद्ध्यन्ति प्रोद्यमेन हि। शिलाऽपि तनुतां याति प्रपातेनार्णसो मुहुः॥
durlabhāny api kāryāṇi siddhyanti prodyamena hi । śilā'pi tanutāṁ yāti prapātenārṇaso muhuḥ ॥
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Meaning of Durlabhāny Api Kāryāṇi Siddhyanti
Even difficult tasks are accomplished through persistent effort. Just as a rock is worn down by the continuous and repeated falling of water.
Word by word
- दुर्लभानिdurlabhāni
hard to attain
दुस् + √लभ्
- अपिapi
even
- कार्याणिkāryāṇi
tasks
√कृ
- सिद्ध्यन्तिsiddhyanti
are accomplished
√सिध्
- प्रोद्यमेनprodyamena
by strenuous effort
प्र + उद् + √यम्
- हिhi
indeed
- शिलाśilā
even a rock
शिला
- तनुताम्tanutām
thinness
तनु
- यातिyāti
goes to
√या
- प्रपातेनprapātena
by the falling
प्र + √पत्
- अर्णसःarṇasaḥ
of water
अर्णस्
- मुहुःmuhuḥ
again and again
Commentary
This profound subhashita uses a natural metaphor to illustrate the law of persistence. A rock is one of the hardest substances in nature, while water is soft and yielding. Yet, when water falls on the rock repeatedly and consistently over time, it eventually wears the stone away. Similarly, 'Prodyama' or great effort, when applied consistently, has the power to overcome obstacles that seem insurmountable. It serves as a reminder that success is often a result of endurance and steady progress rather than just sudden bursts of energy. This is the mirror image of the more familiar drop-and-pot verse. There the drops accumulate and the vessel fills; here the water removes, and what thins is the stone. Persistence is being credited with two different powers, and this verse claims the harder one — that steady effort wears obstacles down as well as building things up. The adverb muhuḥ, again and again, is what both images actually turn on. The source of this verse has not yet been traced.
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More subhashitams on Perseverance
View topic pageरत्नैर्महाब्धेस्तुतुषुर्न देवा न भेजिरे भीमविषेण भीतिम्। सुधां विना न प्रययुर्विरामं न निश्चितार्थाद्विरमन्ति धीराः॥
ratnair mahābdhes tutuṣur na devā na bhejire bhīmaviṣeṇa bhītim । sudhāṃ vinā na prayayur virāmaṃ na niścitārthād viramanti dhīrāḥ ॥
Bhartrhari recalls the churning of the ocean to show that resolute people neither settle for partial gains nor abandon their aim when danger appears.
उद्यमः साहसं धैर्यं बुद्धिः शक्तिः पराक्रमः। षडेते यत्र वर्तन्ते तत्र दैवं सहायकृत्॥
udyamaḥ sāhasaṃ dhairyaṃ buddhiḥ śaktiḥ parākramaḥ । ṣaḍete yatra vartante tatra daivaṃ sahāyakṛt ॥
Effort, courage, patience, intelligence, strength, and valor prepare a person to receive the help of providence.
यथा यथा प्रयत्नः स्याद्भवेदाशु फलं तथा। इति पौरुषमेवास्ति दैवमस्तु तदेव च॥
yathā yathā prayatnaḥ syād bhaved āśu phalaṃ tathā । iti pauruṣam evāsti daivam astu tad eva ca ॥
A Yoga Vasistha verse that links the fruit of an undertaking to human effort and identifies such effort with what people call destiny.