ब्राह्मशैवावधूतयोः कर्त्तव्यकर्माणिThe duties of the Brāhma and Śaiva avadhūtas
Verse 153
कुर्वन् कर्माण्यनासक्तो नलिनीदलनीरवत् । यतेताऽऽत्मानमुद्धर्तुं तत्त्वज्ञानविवेकतः ॥ १५३ ॥
kurvan karmāṇyanāsaktō nalinīdalanīravat | yatētā’’tmānamuddhartuṁ tattvajñānavivēkataḥ || 153 ||
Translation
Doing his acts without attachment, like water on a lotus leaf, he should strive to raise himself by the discernment that knows the truth.
Word by word
- kurvan
- doing
- karmāṇi
- acts
- anāsaktō
- (anāsaktaḥ) without attachment
- nalinī
- of a lotus
- dala
- on the leaf
- nīra
- water
- vat
- like
- yatēta
- he should strive
- ātmānam
- (ātmānam) himself
- uddhartuṁ
- (uddhartum) to raise
- tattva
- of the truth
- jñāna
- knowledge
- vivēkataḥ
- by discernment
Meaning
The image of water on a lotus leaf is the same as the Bhagavad Gītā's (5.10). The verse joins the whole passage on action and knowledge: action is performed, but it no longer binds.
Commentary
Hariharānanda Bhāratī’s Sanskrit commentary, translated
See the commentary on verse 149.