3.38 dhUmEnAvriyathE vahnir

SrI:  SrImathE SatakOpAya nama:  SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama:  SrImath varavaramunayE nama:

Chapter 3

<< Chapter 3 verse 37

SlOkam – Original

dhUmEnAvriyathE vahnir yathAdarSo malEna cha |
yathOlbEnAvruthO garbhas thathA thEnEdham Avrutham ||

word-by-word meaning

vahni: – fire
yathA dhUmEna AvriyathE – as covered by smoke
AdharSa: – mirror
(yathA) cha malEna (AvriyathE) – as covered by dust
garbha: – embryo
yathA (cha) ulbEna – as amnion
Avrutha: – covered by
thathA – in the same way
thEna – by lust
idham – this collection of chEthanas (souls)
Avrutham – covered

Simple Translation

As fire is covered by smoke, mirror is covered by dust, embryo is covered by amnion, in the same way this collection of chEthanas (souls) is covered by lust.

Rendering based on ALkoNdavilli gOvindhAchArya swAmy’s English translation of gIthA bhAshyam

‘Like the fire enveloped by smoke, the mirror
by stain, and the embryo by the amnion, so is this (world) wrapped in it (lust).’

This=all creatures (the world): is immersed in desires, like smoke enveloping the fire; like the stain obscuring the brightness of a looking glass, like the foetus ensheathed in its (membraneous) cover[3. Ulba:- Śruti defines it as “Uttarm vā ulbāj jarāyuḥ”.]

How it envelopes is explained :—

>> Chapter 3 verse 39

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