अविद्या संसृतिर्बन्धो माया मोहो महत्तमः । कल्पितानीति नामानि यस्याः सकलवेदिभिः ॥ २० ॥
avidyā saṁsṛtirbandhō māyā mōhō mahattamaḥ | kalpitānīti nāmāni yasyāḥ sakalavēdibhiḥ || 20 ||
Translation
Ignorance, saṁsāra, bondage, māyā, delusion, the great darkness: these names have been given to it by all the knowers.
Word by word
- avidyā
- ignorance
- saṁsṛtir
- (saṁsṛtiḥ) saṁsāra
- bandhō
- (bandhaḥ) bondage
- māyā
- māyā
- mōhō
- (mohaḥ) delusion
- mahat
- the great
- tamaḥ
- darkness
- kalpitāni
- have been given
- iti
- these
- nāmāni
- names
- yasyāḥ
- to it
- sakala
- all
- vēdibhiḥ
- by the knowers
Meaning
The commentary gives the reason for each name in a note: ignorance (avidyā), because knowledge destroys it; saṁsāra, because it makes one wander up, down and across; bondage, because it gives birth to dependence; māyā, because it is false; delusion (moha), because it is the cause of error; the great (mahat), because it is hard to cross; darkness (tamas), because it covers one's own nature. One thing, named by what it does.