यथा कटकशब्दार्थः पृथक्त्वार्हो न काञ्चनात् । न हेमकटकात्तद्वज्जगच्छब्दार्थता परे ॥ १७ ॥
yathā kaṭakaśabdārthaḥ pṛthaktvārhō na kāñcanāt | na hēmakaṭakāttadvajjagacchabdārthatā parē || 17 ||
Translation
As the meaning of the word "bracelet" cannot be set apart from the gold, nor the gold from the golden bracelet, so is the meaning of the word "world" in the supreme.
Word by word
- yathā
- as
- kaṭaka
- "bracelet"
- śabda
- of the word
- arthaḥ
- the meaning
- pṛthaktva
- to be set apart
- arhō
- (arhaḥ) can be
- na
- not
- kāñcanāt
- from the gold
- hēma
- golden
- kaṭakāt
- from the bracelet
- tadvaj
- (tadvat) so
- jagac
- (jagat) "world"
- śabdārthatā
- the meaning of the word
- parē
- in the supreme
Meaning
The commentary says Vasiṣṭha gives an illustration to show that a thousand superimpositions do not destroy the reality of their ground. The meaning of "bracelet" cannot be separated from the gold of which it is made; so the meaning of "world" is in the supreme Brahman and cannot be separated from it. In the illustration as in what it illustrates, there is no difference.