दीपे यथा विनिद्रस्य ज्वलिते संप्रवर्तते । आलोकोऽनिच्छतोऽप्येवं निर्वाणमनया भवेत् ॥ ७ ॥
dīpē yathā vinidrasya jvalitē saṁpravartatē | ālōkō’nicchatō’pyēvaṁ nirvāṇamanayā bhavēt || 7 ||
Translation
As, when a lamp is lit, light comes even to one awake who does not want it, so from this work nirvāṇa comes about.
Word by word
- dīpē
- when a lamp
- yathā
- as
- vinidrasya
- to one awake
- jvalitē
- is lit
- saṁpravartatē
- comes
- ālōkō
- (ālokaḥ) light
- anicchatō
- (anicchataḥ) who does not want it
- api
- even
- ēvaṁ
- so
- nirvāṇam
- nirvāṇa
- anayā
- from this
- bhavēt
- comes about
Meaning
A lamp does not ask whether the person near it wanted light. Once it burns, the room is lit. Another commentary says the same of this collection: by hearing it, the knowledge that is liberation arises. The claim is strong but precise. It is not that wanting is useless, but that the teaching works by what it is, as light does.