लग्नेनाऽपि किलाऽङ्गेषु बहुधा बहुमानद । कथं संसारपङ्केन पुमानिह न लिप्यते ॥ १३ ॥
lagnēnā’pi kilā’ṅgēṣu bahudhā bahumānada | kathaṁ saṁsārapaṅkēna pumāniha na lipyatē || 13 ||
Translation
Though it clings to the limbs in many ways, giver of honour, how is a man here not soiled by the mud of the world?
Word by word
- lagnēna
- though it clings
- api
- though
- kila
- indeed
- aṅgēṣu
- to the limbs
- bahudhā
- in many ways
- bahumānada
- giver of honour
- kathaṁ
- how
- saṁsāra
- of the world
- paṅkēna
- by the mud
- pumān
- a man
- iha
- here
- na
- not
- lipyatē
- is soiled
Meaning
The question of verse 12, now as an image. The world is mud (paṅka): the commentary says the mud of merit and demerit, or of grief and delusion, and it sticks to the body again and again. How does anyone stay clean in it? Vasiṣṭha is addressed as bahumānada, one who gives honour to others, the commentary's "you who show regard to others": a courteous word, and perhaps a hint that a teacher who honours others is not proud of his own cleanness. The answer will come in verse 17's lotus leaf. The reader may ask the question of their own day: touched by so much, what keeps one from being stained?