आलूनहृदयाम्भोजान् महामोहमतङ्गजान् । विदारयति शुद्धात्मा विचारो नाम केसरी ॥ ८ ॥
ālūnahṛdayāmbhōjān mahāmōhamataṅgajān | vidārayati śuddhātmā vicārō nāma kēsarī || 8 ||
Translation
The lion called inquiry, pure in nature, tears apart the elephants of great delusion that have torn up the lotuses of the heart.
Word by word
- ālūna
- that have torn up
- hṛdaya
- of the heart
- ambhōjān
- the lotuses
- mahā
- great
- mōha
- of delusion
- mataṅgajān
- the elephants
- vidārayati
- tears apart
- śuddha
- pure
- ātmā
- in nature
- vicārō
- (vicāraḥ) inquiry
- nāma
- called
- kēsarī
- the lion
Meaning
The commentary names the lotuses: discrimination growing in the heart. The elephant in a lotus pond is a familiar image of ruin, and the lion is the elephant's one natural enemy. Delusion is large and heavy, but it is no match for inquiry. 'Pure in nature' marks the lion as clean of the very thing it destroys.