अयं वासनया देहो ध्रियते भूतपञ्जरः । तनुनाऽन्तर्निविष्टेन मुक्तौघस्तन्तुना यथा ॥ १० ॥
ayaṁ vāsanayā dēhō dhriyatē bhūtapañjaraḥ | tanunā’ntarniviṣṭēna muktaughastantunā yathā || 10 ||
Translation
This body, a cage of the elements, is held together by vāsanā, as a string of pearls by the fine thread passing through it.
Word by word
- ayaṁ
- this
- vāsanayā
- by vāsanā
- dēhō
- (dehaḥ) body
- dhriyatē
- is held together
- bhūta
- of the elements
- pañjaraḥ
- a cage
- tanunā
- fine
- antar
- (antaḥ) inside
- niviṣṭēna
- passing
- mukta
- (muktā) of pearls
- aughas
- (oghaḥ) a string
- tantunā
- by the thread
- yathā
- as
Meaning
A further objection: even if the mind is gone, the gross body remains, and with it bondage. The answer: the body too, made of the five elements, is held in being by vāsanā, as pearls hang together only by the thread inside them. This prepares the distinction of the next verses: if the body of a liberated person lives on, a vāsanā of another kind must be holding it.