कर्मक्षयान्मुक्तिःLiberation by the wearing away of action
Verse 110
यथा लौहमयैः पाशैः पाशैः स्वर्णमयैरपि । तथा बद्धो भवेज्जीवः कर्मभिश्चाऽशुभैः शुभैः ॥ ११० ॥
yathā lauhamayaiḥ pāśaiḥ pāśaiḥ svarṇamayairapi | tathā baddhō bhavējjīvaḥ karmabhiścā’śubhaiḥ śubhaiḥ || 110 ||
Translation
As one may be bound by fetters of iron or by fetters of gold, so the jīva is bound by actions, bad and good.
Word by word
- yathā
- as
- lauha
- of iron
- mayaiḥ
- made
- pāśaiḥ
- by fetters
- svarṇa
- of gold
- mayair
- (mayaiḥ) made
- api
- also
- tathā
- so
- baddhō
- (baddhaḥ) bound
- bhavēj
- (bhavet) is
- jīvaḥ
- the jīva
- karmabhiś
- (karmabhiḥ) by actions
- ca
- and
- aśubhaiḥ
- (aśubhaiḥ) bad
- śubhaiḥ
- good
Meaning
The most memorable image of the passage. Gold is better than iron, but a chain of gold still binds, and the verse leaves no room for the view that merit is itself freedom.
Commentary
Hariharānanda Bhāratī’s Sanskrit commentary, translated
See the commentary on verse 108.