आशावैवश्यविवशे चित्ते सन्तोषवर्जिते । म्लाने वक्त्रमिवाऽऽदर्शे न ज्ञानं प्रतिबिम्बति ॥ ९ ॥
āśāvaivaśyavivaśē cittē santōṣavarjitē | mlānē vaktramivā’’darśē na jñānaṁ pratibimbati || 9 ||
Translation
In a mind helpless in bondage to hope and lacking contentment, knowledge is not reflected, as a face is not reflected in a dimmed mirror.
Word by word
- āśā
- to hope
- vaivaśya
- in bondage
- vivaśē
- helpless
- cittē
- in a mind
- santōṣa
- contentment
- varjitē
- lacking
- mlānē
- in a dimmed
- vaktram
- a face
- iva
- as
- ādarśē
- in a mirror
- na
- not
- jñānaṁ
- knowledge
- pratibimbati
- is reflected
Meaning
The commentary names what dims a mirror: water, dust and breath. Knowledge here is not something to be made; it is to be reflected, as a face already there is seen in a mirror. The work is to clear the surface. Hope, always reaching for the next thing, keeps it clouded, and the teaching, as another commentary says, cannot show in it.