मनोमोहवने ह्यस्मिन् वेगिनी वासनासरित् । शुभाशुभबृहत्कूला नित्यं वहति जन्तुषु ॥ ३३ ॥
manōmōhavanē hyasmin vēginī vāsanāsarit | śubhāśubhabṛhatkūlā nityaṁ vahati jantuṣu || 33 ||
Translation
In this forest of the mind's delusion the swift river of tendencies, with its great banks of good and ill, flows on in all beings.
Word by word
- manō
- (manaḥ) of the mind
- mōha
- delusion
- vanē
- in the forest
- hi
- indeed
- asmin
- in this
- vēginī
- swift
- vāsanā
- of tendencies
- sarit
- the river
- śubha
- of good
- aśubha
- and ill
- bṛhat
- great
- kūlā
- with its banks
- nityaṁ
- on
- vahati
- flows
- jantuṣu
- in all beings
Meaning
Vāsanā, tendency, is the leaning left in the mind by past action and desire. The commentary names the banks: merit and sin, puṇya and pāpa. The river is swift and always flowing, in every creature. It cannot be stopped, but the next verse says it can be turned.