प्रदीपशान्तिष्विव भुक्तभूरिदशास्वतिस्नेहनिबन्धनीषु । संसारमालासु चलाचलासु न ज्ञायते तत्त्वमतात्त्विकीषु ॥ २६ ॥
pradīpaśāntiṣviva bhuktabhūridaśāsvatisnēhanibandhanīṣu | saṁsāramālāsu calācalāsu na jñāyatē tattvamatāttvikīṣu || 26 ||
Translation
In the garlands of the world, moving and unmoving, unreal, binding with great affection, like lamps going out after burning through many wicks, the truth is not known.
Word by word
- pradīpa
- like lamps
- śāntiṣu
- going out
- iva
- like
- bhukta
- after burning through
- bhūri
- many
- daśāsu
- wicks
- ati
- great
- snēha
- with affection
- nibandhanīṣu
- binding
- saṁsāra
- of the world
- mālāsu
- in the garlands
- cala
- moving
- acalāsu
- and unmoving
- na
- not
- jñāyatē
- is known
- tattvam
- the truth
- atāttvikīṣu
- unreal
Meaning
A lamp burns through wick after wick, flaring and fading, and goes out. The world is a chain of such lamps, moving and still, held together by sneha, oil and affection, and in it the truth (tattva) is not found. The commentary: in this petty garland of birth and death, nothing real is known. The pun on sneha, oil and love, joins the burning of the lamp to the burning of attachment.