1770.  Vyasa lived in northern India and was evidently unacquainted with the tides that appear in the Bengal rivers.

1771.  The object of this verse is to show the utility and necessity of acts.  Without acting no one, however clever, can earn any fruit.  Both the vernacular translators give ridiculous versions of this plain aphorism.

1772.  Asi is used in the sense of akansha.

1773.  Naprapyanadhigachchati is na aprayam etc.

1774.  I do not quite understand in what the fault lies that is referred to here.  Perhaps the sense is this.  In Hindu philosophy, the vital seed is said to be generated by the sight of a desirable woman.  When sexual congress takes place with one whose sight has not originated the vital seed but with another it fails to be productive.  Whoever indulges in such intercourse is to blame.

1775.  Parasarirani has prapnuvanti understood after it.  Chinnavijam means whose seed has broken, that is the creature whose gross body has met with destruction.  The gross body is called the Vijam or seed of (heaven and hell).  The sense of the verse is that every one, after death, attains to a new body.  A creature can never exist without the bonds of body being attached to him.  Of course, the case is otherwise with persons who succeed in achieving their Emancipation by the destruction of all acts.  The Burdwan translator, following the commentator faithfully, renders this verse correctly.  K. P. Singha skips over it entirely.

1776.  This is a not a difficult verse.  Then, again, the commentator explains it carefully.  K. P. Singha gives a ridiculous version.  The Burdwan translator is correct.  Nirddagdham and vinasyantam imply the dying or dead.  Jivar paradeham chalachalam ahitam bhavati means another body, as much subject to destruction, is kept ready.

1777.  I expand this verse a little for bringing out its meaning.  What is said here is that some come out of the womb alive; some die there before being quickened with life, the reason being that their acts of past lives bring for them other bodies even at that stage.

1778.  This verse is certainly a ‘crux.’  The commentator, I think, displays considerable ingenuity in explaining it.  The order of the words is Gatayushah tasya sahajatasya pancha saptamim navamim dasam prapnuvanti; tatah na bhavanti; sa na.  The ten stages of a person’s life are (1) residence within the womb, (2) birth, (3) infancy, up to 5 years, (4) childhood, up to 12 years, (5) Pauganda up to 16 years, (6) youth, up to 48 years, (7) old age, (8) decrepitude, (9) suspension of breath, (10) destruction of body.

1779.  Niyuktah means employed.  I take it to imply employed in the task of conquering Nature.  It may also mean, set to their usual tasks by the influence of past acts.  Nature here means, of course the grand laws to which human existence is subject, viz., the law of birth, of death, of disease and decrepitude etc.