मनोयन्त्रस्य चलने कारणं वेदनं विदुः । प्रणालीदारुमेषस्य रज्जुरन्तर्गता यथा ॥ २७ ॥
manōyantrasya calanē kāraṇaṁ vēdanaṁ viduḥ | praṇālīdārumēṣasya rajjurantargatā yathā || 27 ||
Translation
The cause of the movement of the mind-machine is knowing, the wise say, as a cord hidden inside makes the wooden rams in the pipe move.
Word by word
- manō
- (manaḥ) the mind
- yantrasya
- of the machine
- calanē
- of the movement
- kāraṇaṁ
- the cause
- vēdanaṁ
- knowing
- viduḥ
- the wise say
- praṇālī
- in the pipe
- dāru
- wooden
- mēṣasya
- of the rams
- rajjur
- (rajjuḥ) a cord
- antargatā
- hidden inside
- yathā
- as
Meaning
The image is a toy: two wooden rams in a hollow wooden pipe, made to butt each other by a cord inside that is pulled from within. The commentary: as that hidden cord is the cause, so the flashing forth of objects in awareness is the cause of the mind's movement. One sees the rams clash, not the cord. One sees the mind rush about, not the knowing that pulls it.