स्वप्ने वा व्योम्नि वा चित्रमकर्तृचिरभासुरम् । अवह्निरेव वह्नित्वं धत्ते चित्रानलो यथा ॥ २३ ॥
svapnē vā vyōmni vā citramakartṛcirabhāsuram | avahnirēva vahnitvaṁ dhattē citrānalō yathā || 23 ||
Translation
like a picture in a dream or in the sky, long shining with no painter; as a painted fire, not being fire, holds fire-ness,
Word by word
- svapnē
- in a dream
- vā
- or
- vyōmni
- in the sky
- citram
- a picture
- akartṛ
- with no painter
- cira
- long
- bhāsuram
- shining
- avahnir
- (avahniḥ) not being fire
- ēva
- indeed
- vahnitvaṁ
- fire-ness
- dhattē
- holds
- citra
- painted
- analō
- (analaḥ) fire
- yathā
- as
Meaning
The painted fire looks like fire and burns nothing. The commentary on the picture with no painter: as in a dream or in empty space a picture is seen that no one painted. The world is called such a picture: no maker stands behind it as a painter stands behind a painting.