अशेषेण परित्यागो वासनानां य उत्तमः । मोक्ष इत्युच्यते ब्रह्मन् स एव विमलक्रमः ॥ ८ ॥
aśēṣēṇa parityāgō vāsanānāṁ ya uttamaḥ | mōkṣa ityucyatē brahman sa ēva vimalakramaḥ || 8 ||
Translation
The complete giving up of the latent impressions (vāsanās), which is the highest, is what is called liberation, O sage; that alone is the stainless way.
Word by word
- aśēṣēṇa
- complete
- parityāgō
- (parityāgaḥ) the giving up
- vāsanānāṁ
- of the latent impressions
- ya
- (yaḥ) which
- uttamaḥ
- is the highest
- mōkṣa
- (mokṣaḥ) liberation
- iti
- thus
- ucyatē
- is called
- brahman
- (brahman) O sage
- sa
- (saḥ) that
- ēva
- alone
- vimala
- stainless
- kramaḥ
- way
Meaning
Vāsanās are the impressions left by past experience and desire, the seeds from which new wanting, acting and birth grow. The commentary explains why their uprooting is called the "highest" liberation. Other states that are called liberation, such as dwelling in the world of one's chosen deity, reached by worship, leave the vāsanās in place, so the word is used of them only loosely. The root muc, "to release", means release from bonds, and the vāsanās are the real bonds. Only the knower, free of the stain of ignorance, reaches this liberation.