संसारविषवृक्षोऽयमेकमास्पदमापदाम् । अज्ञं संमोहयेन्नित्यं मौर्ख्यं यत्नेन नाशयेत् ॥ ६९ ॥
saṁsāraviṣavṛkṣō’yamēkamāspadamāpadām | ajñaṁ saṁmōhayēnnityaṁ maurkhyaṁ yatnēna nāśayēt || 69 ||
Translation
This poison tree of saṁsāra, the one abode of calamities, deludes the ignorant always. Destroy folly with effort.
Word by word
- saṁsāra
- of saṁsāra
- viṣa
- poison
- vṛkṣō
- (vṛkṣaḥ) tree
- ayam
- this
- ēkam
- the one
- āspadam
- abode
- āpadām
- of calamities
- ajñaṁ
- the ignorant
- saṁmōhayēt
- deludes
- nityaṁ
- always
- maurkhyaṁ
- folly
- yatnēna
- with effort
- nāśayēt
- destroy
Meaning
Saṁsāra is said to be a poison tree, the only home of disasters. The commentary reads the second half as the conclusion, that ignorance must be destroyed by effort. The tree of discernment at verse 58 gave two good fruits, and this tree grows from the same ground: the same mind, with or without clarity. The closing command puts it plainly: no one else will do it for you.