तृष्णातन्तुलवप्रोतं जीवसञ्चयमौक्तिकम् । चिदच्छाङ्गतया नित्यं विकसच्चित्तनायकम् ॥ १९ ॥
tṛṣṇātantulavaprōtaṁ jīvasañcayamauktikam | cidacchāṅgatayā nityaṁ vikasaccittanāyakam || 19 ||
Translation
This is the necklace of the world: strung on fine threads of craving, the multitude of souls its pearls, the mind its central gem, shining always because of its part in pure consciousness,
Word by word
- tṛṣṇā
- of craving
- tantu
- on threads
- lava
- fine
- prōtaṁ
- strung
- jīva
- of souls
- sañcaya
- the multitude
- mauktikam
- its pearls
- cid
- (cit) consciousness
- accha
- pure
- aṅgatayā
- because of its part in
- nityaṁ
- always
- vikasat
- shining
- citta
- the mind
- nāyakam
- its central gem
Meaning
Verses 19 and 20 are one sentence. The world is a necklace (hāra), and the verse names its parts. The thread is craving, thin and strong; the pearls are all the living beings (jīva) strung on it; and in the middle, where the chief jewel (nāyaka) of a necklace hangs, is the mind. The mind shines, the commentary says, through its connection with consciousness, the witness: its light is borrowed from the pure awareness (cit) it reflects. The image is beautiful, and meant to be. The world is not ugly; it is a jewel, and that is why it binds. What holds it together is craving, and what makes it shine is consciousness. The reader may see that what makes their own world precious to them is the light of their own awareness, lent to things.