दुराशासर्पगत्येन मौर्ख्येण हृदि वल्गता । चेतः संकोचमायाति चर्माग्नाविव योजितम् ॥ ७० ॥
durāśāsarpagatyēna maurkhyēṇa hṛdi valgatā | cētaḥ saṁkōcamāyāti carmāgnāviva yōjitam || 70 ||
Translation
When folly leaps in the heart, moving with the snaking course of evil hope, the mind shrivels, like hide put in a fire.
Word by word
- durāśā
- of evil hope
- sarpa
- snaking
- gatyēna
- moving with the course
- maurkhyēṇa
- folly
- hṛdi
- in the heart
- valgatā
- when ... leaps
- cētaḥ
- the mind
- saṁkōcam
- shrivels
- āyāti
- comes to
- carma
- hide
- agnau
- in a fire
- iva
- like
- yōjitam
- put
Meaning
Durāśā is bad hope, the hope that never gets what it wants, and the commentary gives it the crooked motion of a serpent. The image of hide in a fire is exact: it curls in on itself and shrinks. The commentary compares the mind to a closed lotus, losing its clearness. This is what a mind ruled by craving is like. It grows smaller, and more occupied with itself. The opened lotus of verse 64 is the contrary state.