Verse 3.38
Speaker: Krishna
Sanskrit
धूमेनाव्रियते वह्निर्यथादर्शो मलेन च। यथोल्बेनावृतो गर्भस्तथा तेनेदमावृतम्।।
Transliteration (IAST)
dhūmenāvriyate vahnir yathādarśo malena ca | yatholbenāvṛto garbhas tathā tenedam āvṛtam ||
Word-by-Word Meanings
धूमेन-by smoke
वह्निः-fire
आदर्शः-mirror
मलेन-by dust
उल्बेन-by the womb
गर्भः-embryo
आवृतम्-covered
Translation
As fire is covered by smoke, as a mirror by dust, and as an embryo by the womb, so is knowledge covered by desire.
Commentary
Krishna uses three analogies of increasing density to show how desire obscures wisdom. Smoke over fire is thin and easily dispersed; dust on a mirror requires effort to clean; the womb completely envelops the embryo. Similarly, desire covers knowledge in varying degrees depending on its intensity.
Themes
jnanakarmayoga