कल्लोलकलितावर्तं मायामकरमालितम् । न निरोद्धुं समर्थोऽस्मि मनोमयमहार्णवम् ॥ ७ ॥
kallōlakalitāvartaṁ māyāmakaramālitam | na nirōddhuṁ samarthō’smi manōmayamahārṇavam || 7 ||
Translation
This great ocean made of mind, its whirlpools formed by waves, wreathed with the crocodiles of māyā, I am not able to hold back.
Word by word
- kallōla
- by waves
- kalita
- formed
- āvartaṁ
- its whirlpools
- māyā
- of māyā
- makara
- with the crocodiles
- mālitam
- wreathed
- na
- not
- nirōddhuṁ
- to hold back
- samarthō
- (samarthaḥ) able
- asmi
- I am
- manō
- (manaḥ) of mind
- maya
- made
- mahā
- great
- arṇavam
- this ocean
Meaning
Now the mind is the whole ocean. Its waves are the eager impulses towards pleasure, the commentary says, which form whirlpools deep enough to drown in; its crocodiles are māyā, deception. Rāma says simply: "I am not able to hold it back" (na niroddhum samartho'smi). The word nirodha, restraint, is the word of the Yoga Sūtra's definition, "yoga is the restraint of the movements of the mind". Rāma knows what yoga asks and confesses that by his own strength he cannot do it. That confession is itself a ground for teaching.