परिक्षीणे मोहे विगलति घने ज्ञानजलदे परिज्ञाते तत्त्वे समधिगत आत्मन्यतितते । विचार्याऽऽर्यैः सार्धं चलितवपुषो वै सदृशतो धिया दृष्टे तत्त्वे रमणमटनं जागतमिदम् ॥ २० ॥
parikṣīṇē mōhē vigalati ghanē jñānajaladē parijñātē tattvē samadhigata ātmanyatitatē | vicāryā’’ryaiḥ sārdhaṁ calitavapuṣō vai sadṛśatō dhiyā dṛṣṭē tattvē ramaṇamaṭanaṁ jāgatamidam || 20 ||
Translation
When delusion is worn away, and the dense cloud of ignorance melts; when, by inquiring with the noble, the truth is known; when the Self, far-reaching, is gained; and one's likeness to the body has gone: then, the truth having been seen by the mind, this wandering through the world is a delight.
Word by word
- parikṣīṇē
- is worn away
- mōhē
- delusion
- vigalati
- melts
- ghanē
- dense
- jñāna
- (ajñāna) of ignorance
- jaladē
- the cloud
- parijñātē
- is known
- tattvē
- the truth
- samadhigata
- is gained
- ātmani
- the Self
- atitatē
- far-reaching
- vicārya
- by inquiring
- āryaiḥ
- the noble
- sārdhaṁ
- with
- calita
- gone
- vapuṣō
- (vapuṣaḥ) from the body
- vai
- indeed
- sadṛśatō
- (sadṛśataḥ) likeness
- dhiyā
- by the mind
- dṛṣṭē
- having been seen
- ramaṇam
- a delight
- aṭanaṁ
- wandering
- jāgatam
- through the world
- idam
- this
Meaning
This verse carries the method of the whole Vedānta, and the commentary lays it out step by step. With the teacher, one inquires into the sense of the great sayings, such as 'That thou art' (tat tvam asi), and the truth is known: this is śravaṇa, hearing. By manana, reflection, doubt and wrong ideas are removed, and the unbounded Self is understood. By nididhyāsana, contemplation, the mind free of contrary notions has direct realisation of Brahman. Then delusion goes, and with it one's earlier identity with the gross and other bodies, the likeness to them that had seemed one's own nature. The phrase ghane jñāna-jalade has to be read as ghane 'jñāna-jalade: the cloud is of ignorance, of mistaken knowing, as the commentary takes it. Ramaṇam aṭanam, the refrain, is the fruit: wandering, that word for what is painful in saṁsāra, becomes a joy. Nothing outward need change. Wandering remains wandering, and this time no one is lost.