Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 3, Verse 38
धूमेनाव्रियते वह्निर्यथादर्शो मलेन च । यथोल्बेनावृतो गर्भस्तथा तेनेदमावृतम्
dhūmenāvriyate vahniryathādarśo malena ca | yatholbenāvṛto garbhastathā tenedamāvṛtam
Translation
As fire is surrounded by smoke, as a mirror by rust, as the foetus is enclosed in the womb, so is this covered by it.
— Alladi Mahadeva Sastri
Word meanings
- dhūmena
- by smoke
- āvriyate
- is enwrapped
- vahniḥ
- fire
- yathā
- as
- ādarśaḥ
- a mirror
- malena
- by dust
- ca
- and
- yathā
- as
- ulbena
- by the amnion
- āvṛtaḥ
- enwrapped
- garbhaḥ
- embryo
- tathā
- so
- tena
- by it
- idam
- (universe)
- āvṛtam
- enwrapped
Śaṅkarācārya's commentary
As a bright fire is surrounded by dark smoke co-existent with it, so this (wisdom) is covered with desire.