स्वयमेवाऽऽत्मनाऽऽत्मानमवष्टभ्य विचारतः । संसारमोहजलधेस्तारयेत् स्वमनोमृगम् ॥ ४९ ॥
svayamēvā’’tmanā’’tmānamavaṣṭabhya vicārataḥ | saṁsāramōhajaladhēstārayēt svamanōmṛgam || 49 ||
Translation
Holding the self firm by the self, through inquiry, one should carry the deer of one's own mind across the ocean of saṁsāra's delusion.
Word by word
- svayam
- by oneself
- ēva
- indeed
- ātmanā
- by the self
- ātmānam
- the self
- avaṣṭabhya
- holding firm
- vicārataḥ
- through inquiry
- saṁsāra
- of saṁsāra
- mōha
- of the delusion
- jaladhēs
- (jaladheḥ) across the ocean
- tārayēt
- one should carry
- sva
- own
- manō
- (manaḥ) of the mind
- mṛgam
- the deer
Meaning
The commentary: the self is being swept along by the current of attachment and aversion, and one must hold it steady by force and bring the mind across. The echo of the Gītā is plain: raise the self by the self. The mind is a deer, quick to bolt and easy to frighten. It cannot swim the sea by itself, and no one else can carry it.