संसाराम्भोधिजठरे तृष्णाकुहरकान्तरे । सुप्तस्तिष्ठति मुक्तेहो मूकोऽयं कायकच्छपः ॥ ४६ ॥
saṁsārāmbhōdhijaṭharē tṛṣṇākuharakāntarē | suptastiṣṭhati muktēhō mūkō’yaṁ kāyakacchapaḥ || 46 ||
Translation
In the belly of the ocean of the world, within the cave of craving, this dumb tortoise, the body, lies asleep, without any effort.
Word by word
- saṁsāra
- of the world
- ambhōdhi
- of the ocean
- jaṭharē
- in the belly
- tṛṣṇā
- of craving
- kuhara
- the cave
- kāntarē
- within
- suptas
- (suptaḥ) asleep
- tiṣṭhati
- lies
- mukta
- without
- īhō
- (īhaḥ) any effort
- mūkō
- (mūkaḥ) dumb
- ayaṁ
- this
- kāya
- the body
- kacchapaḥ
- tortoise
Meaning
A tortoise at the bottom of the sea, in a hole, withdrawn into its shell, motionless and mute. The body is such a tortoise, asleep in the cave of craving in the depths of saṃsāra. The commentary reads "without effort" and "dumb": it makes no effort towards the freedom of the self, and it has no voice to go to a teacher and ask about the Self. The reader is asked: is my body only asleep in the deep, or does it carry me to where I can ask?