सन्तोषशीतलं चेतः शुद्धविज्ञानदृष्टिभिः । भृशं विकासमायाति सूर्यांशुभिरिवाऽम्बुजम् ॥ ८ ॥
santōṣaśītalaṁ cētaḥ śuddhavijñānadṛṣṭibhiḥ | bhṛśaṁ vikāsamāyāti sūryāṁśubhirivā’mbujam || 8 ||
Translation
The mind cooled by contentment opens wide to the rays of pure knowledge, as a lotus opens to the rays of the sun.
Word by word
- santōṣa
- by contentment
- śītalaṁ
- cooled
- cētaḥ
- the mind
- śuddha
- pure
- vijñāna
- of knowledge
- dṛṣṭibhiḥ
- to the rays
- bhṛśaṁ
- wide
- vikāsam
- opening
- āyāti
- comes to
- sūrya
- of the sun
- aṁśubhir
- (aṁśubhiḥ) to the rays
- iva
- as
- ambujam
- a lotus
Meaning
The image joins two things that seem opposed, coolness and the sun. Contentment cools the mind, and that is just what lets it open to knowledge, as a lotus needs cool water to open to the sun's heat. A mind still burning with want has no room for what knowledge shows.