प्रज्ञा वराकी सर्वैव कायबद्धास्थयाऽनया । मिथ्याज्ञानकुराक्षस्या छलिता कष्टमेकिका ॥ ५६ ॥
prajñā varākī sarvaiva kāyabaddhāsthayā’nayā | mithyājñānakurākṣasyā chalitā kaṣṭamēkikā || 56 ||
Translation
All poor wisdom, alas, alone, has been deceived by this trust in the body, the wicked demoness of false knowledge.
Word by word
- prajñā
- wisdom
- varākī
- poor
- sarvā
- all
- ēva
- indeed
- kāya
- in the body
- baddha
- set
- āsthayā
- by trust
- anayā
- by this
- mithyā
- false
- jñāna
- of knowledge
- ku
- wicked
- rākṣasyā
- by the demoness
- chalitā
- has been deceived
- kaṣṭam
- alas
- ēkikā
- alone
Meaning
Prajñā, wisdom, is "poor" (varākī), defenceless, and, "alone" (ekikā): without the helper of discrimination, says another commentary, she stands by herself. And she is cheated by the demoness of false knowledge, whose form is trust in the body. The image is of a good but unprotected woman robbed by a clever thief. The reader is asked to give their own understanding the companion it lacks: discrimination, which the next teachings will give.