SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
SlOkam – Original
nAham prakASa: sarvasya yogamAyAsamAvrutha: |
mUdO’yam nAbhijAnAthi lOkO mAm ajam avyayam ||
word-by-word meaning
yOgAmAyA samAvrutha: aham – I who have assumed a human form , covered by mAyA (amazing ability)
sarvasya – for most people in this world
na prakASa: – not shining (as paramAthmA);
mUda: ayam lOka: – ignorant people of this world
mAm – me
ajam – as the cause who does not have births (which are based on karma)
avyayam – the imperishable sarvESvara
na abhijAnathi – do not analyse and know me such
Simple Translation
I, who have assumed a human form, covered by mAyA (amazing ability), am not shining for most people in this world; ignorant people of this world do not analyse and know me as the cause who does not have births (which are based on karma) and the imperishable sarvESvara.
Rendering based on ALkoNdavilli gOvindhAchArya swAmy’s English translation of gIthA bhAshyam
‘Enveloped—in yoga-maya, I do not shine to all. This ignorant world knows Me not as the Birthless and Deathless.'[ Cp. IX-11. Bh: Gi.]
I am not obvious to all, as I am enveloped in that congeries of material units (=the compound, called the body=yoga), taking the form of the human, and appearing to mortals as but a human shape, the usual habitat to which the embodied (karma-bound) souls are accustomed.
Just because I appear anthropomorphic, the blind world does not understand that corporeity (or incarnation) is, in purpose, assumed with a view to be within the reach of all.
Albeit that My feats (or miraculous acts) transcend the powers of Vāyu and Indra (Symbols of the mighty forces of Nature, the Deified Powers of the wind, of the firmament etc)., and that My lustrous glory dims and darkens the light of the sun and the glare of the fire, the stupid world knows Me not, —just because of My appearance as human,— as the Birthless (because I am the Causa Causorum), and Deathless (being the Lord of all).
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