SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
SlOkam – Original
yA niSA sarvabhUthAnAm thasyAm jAgarthi samyamI |
yasyAm jAgrathi bhUthAni sA niSA paSyathO munE: ||
word-by-word meaning
yA – that knowledge about self
sarvabhUthAnAm – for all creatures
niSA – dark like in the night
thasyAm – in context of such knowledge
samyamI – gyAna yOgi who controlled his sensory organs
jAgarthi – staying awake (experiencing the self)
yasyAm – in the knowledge relating to worldly pleasures
bhUthAni – creatures
jAgrathi – staying awake (enjoying those worldly pleasures) and shining
sA – that knowledge
paSyatha: – seeing the self
munE: – for the gyAna yOgi who meditates upon it
niSA – dark like night
Simple Translation
That knowledge about self which is dark like in the night for all creatures, in such knowledge, the gyAna yOgi who controlled his sensory organs is staying awake (experiencing the self) [like in the day]; that knowledge relating to worldly pleasures in which all creatures are staying awake (enjoying those worldly pleasures) and shining [like in the day], for the gyAna yOgi who meditates seeing the self, it is dark like in the night.
Rendering based on ALkoNdavilli gOvindhAchArya swAmy’s English translation of gIthA bhAshyam
‘What is night to all creatures, then awake is the saṃyamī (sense-victor); when all creatures are awake, that is night to the seeing muni [1. ‘The silent and steady meditator’, read verse 56 and Commentary thereon (ante). A holy retired man. An ascetic.].’’
What understanding concerning ātmā is darkness to all creatures -i.e., that understanding or wisdom about ātmā which like night does not shine to them- in that understanding or wisdom concerning ātmā, the saṃyamī or the conqueror of the senses, has his mind lucidly awake or serenely alive. This means that he remains seeing ātmā.
What understanding -which occupies itself with sensuous delights, sound etc., all other creatures are awake in or alive to, – that sensuous understanding does not shine, like night, to the ātmā-seeing muni [2. ‘The silent and steady meditator’, read verse 56 and Commentary thereon (ante). A holy retired man. An ascetic.].
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