तस्मात्प्रकृतमेवेदं शृणु श्रवणभूषणम् । मयोपदिश्यमानं त्वं ज्ञानमज्ञान्ध्यनाशनम् ॥ ७ ॥
tasmātprakṛtamēvēdaṁ śṛṇu śravaṇabhūṣaṇam | mayōpadiśyamānaṁ tvaṁ jñānamajñāndhyanāśanam || 7 ||
Translation
So hear the matter in hand, an ornament to the ears: the knowledge I am teaching you, which destroys the blindness of ignorance.
Word by word
- tasmāt
- so
- prakṛtam
- the matter in hand
- ēva
- indeed
- idaṁ
- this
- śṛṇu
- hear
- śravaṇa
- to the ears
- bhūṣaṇam
- an ornament
- mayā
- by me
- upadiśyamānaṁ
- I am teaching
- tvaṁ
- you
- jñānam
- the knowledge
- ajñāna
- of ignorance
- āndhya
- the blindness
- nāśanam
- which destroys
Meaning
The side question answered, Vasiṣṭha returns to the main teaching (prakṛtam). It is "an ornament for the ears" (śravaṇa-bhūṣaṇa): hearing it adorns the hearer. And it destroys the blindness (āndhya) of ignorance. The commentary: this excellent knowledge, dear to the ear, which ends the darkness of ignorance, hear it from me. An ornament is worn, not stored; the image suggests a teaching meant to be carried about in daily life.