अज्ञानसुघनाकारा घनाहङ्कारशालिनी । पुनर्जन्मकरी प्रोक्ता मलिना वासना बुधैः ॥ १२ ॥
ajñānasughanākārā ghanāhaṅkāraśālinī | punarjanmakarī prōktā malinā vāsanā budhaiḥ || 12 ||
Translation
The impure vāsanā, the wise say, is the one that brings rebirth: dense in form with ignorance and rich in thick ego.
Word by word
- ajñāna
- with ignorance
- sughana
- dense
- ākārā
- in form
- ghana
- thick
- ahaṅkāra
- ego
- śālinī
- rich in
- punar
- (punaḥ) re-
- janma
- birth
- karī
- bringing
- prōktā
- is said
- malinā
- impure
- vāsanā
- vāsanā
- budhaiḥ
- by the wise
Meaning
The commentary draws out the image of a field. Ignorance is the fertile soil in which the seeds of vāsanā sprout. Brooding on the objects of sense makes them grow huge; attachment and aversion make them thicken; the ego, like a landowner, tends them with care. Such a vāsanā bears its crop in birth after birth.