even a few steps in the right path is good enough

अनुगन्तुं सतां वर्त्म कृत्स्नं यदि न शक्यते।
स्वल्पमप्यनुगन्तव्यं मार्गस्तो नावसीदति॥
महासुभाशितसङ्ग्रहे १४३७

anugantuṁ satāṁ vartma kṛtsnaṁ yadi na śakyate|
svalpamapyanugantavyaṁ mārgasto nāvasīdati||
mahāsubhāśitasaṅgrahe 1437



It is indeed very difficult to follow the path trodden by the really great people. But if one attempts at least walk at least a few steps along that path, it will never do him anything bad..

The subhashitam quoted as entry 1437 in Steinbach's Mahasubhashita Sangraham Just says that.

The meaning of the couplet is
If it is not within the capacity of a person to follow all along, the path trodden by the great people, he should certainly follow the path at least a little.. A person who has set out in the right path would never come to grief..

Yes, for ordinary human beings like us, the temptation would be to follow the easy path..
We may even be tempted to presume that we can try to have things our own way unless and until we are caught on the wrong foot.
The masters and Acharyas are walking along the path of righteousness and and showing us the way.
We may have difficulty in following that path because we would have many mental, physical and emotional limitations and drawbacks..
But when the Master has walked hundred miles in the right path, let us at least follow a few steps..
The path shown by the master is pure, clean and bright..
Walking even a few steps there would definitely do us good only..
No one who follows the path of the Masters would ever come to grief.



അനുഗന്തും സതാം വര്‍ത്മ കൃത്സ്നം യദി ന ശക്യതേ।
സ്വല്പമപ്യനുഗന്തവ്യം മാര്‍ഗസ്തോ നാവസീദതി॥
മഹാസുഭാശിതസങ്ഗ്രഹേ ൧൪൩൭


മഹാന്മാര്‍ നടന്നു നീങ്ങുന്ന കഷ്ടങ്ങളും യാതനകളും വെല്ലുവിളികളും നിറഞ്ഞ പാതയില്‍ അതേ വേഗത്തിലും അതേ ദൂരം വരെയും പിന്തുടരുവാന്‍ സാധാരണക്കാരായ നമുക്ക് സാദ്ധ്യമായെന്നു വരില്ല..
പക്ഷെ ആ പാതയില്‍ അല്പദൂരമെങ്കിലും സഞ്ചരിക്കാന്‍ ശ്രമിച്ചുകൂടെ? നല്ല പാതയില്‍ നടക്കുവാന്‍ പുറപ്പെട്ടവന് ഒരിക്കലും ദുഃഖിക്കേണ്ടി വരില്ല. തീര്‍ച്ച