यथा रज्ज्वामहिभ्रान्तिर्विनश्यत्यवलोकनात् । तथैतत्प्रेक्षणाच्छान्तिमेति संसारदुःखितः ॥ ९ ॥
yathā rajjvāmahibhrāntirvinaśyatyavalōkanāt | tathaitatprēkṣaṇācchāntimēti saṁsāraduḥkhitaḥ || 9 ||
- Another reading: संसारदुःखिता (saṁsāraduḥkhitā) for संसारदुःखितः
Translation
As the delusion of a snake in a rope perishes by looking, so by studying this, the one who suffers from saṁsāra comes to peace.
Word by word
- yathā
- as
- rajjvām
- in a rope
- ahi
- of a snake
- bhrāntir
- (bhrāntiḥ) the delusion
- vinaśyati
- perishes
- avalōkanāt
- by looking
- tathā
- so
- ētat
- this
- prēkṣaṇāc
- (prekṣaṇāt) by studying
- śāntim
- to peace
- ēti
- comes
- saṁsāra
- from saṁsāra
- duḥkhitaḥ
- the one who suffers
Meaning
The rope and the snake, the classic example of Vedānta. The snake is not killed; it was never there, and looking carefully ends the fear. The commentary says this text is to be looked at in the same way, with reflection. The teaching does not remove the world. It removes the mistake that made it a cause of suffering.