आकारिणि यथा सौम्ये स्थितास्तोये महोर्मयः । अनाकृतौ तथा विश्वं स्थितं तत्सदृशं परे ॥ २७ ॥
ākāriṇi yathā saumyē sthitāstōyē mahōrmayaḥ | anākṛtau tathā viśvaṁ sthitaṁ tatsadṛśaṁ parē || 27 ||
Translation
As great waves stand in calm water, which has form, so in the formless Supreme stands the universe, like it.
Word by word
- ākāriṇi
- which has form
- yathā
- as
- saumyē
- calm
- sthitās
- (sthitāḥ) stand
- tōyē
- in water
- mahā
- great
- ūrmayaḥ
- waves
- anākṛtau
- in the formless
- tathā
- so
- viśvaṁ
- the universe
- sthitaṁ
- stands
- tat
- it
- sadṛśaṁ
- like
- parē
- in the Supreme
Meaning
How can a world with forms stand in what has no form? The commentary: as the moving shapes of great waves stand as one shape in water, so there is no contradiction in a world with forms standing as the formless Brahman. Calm water (saumya, calm and clear) holds the restless shapes of the waves; the Supreme holds the universe in the same way, and the universe so held is "like it", formless as it is. The image shows the difference too: water has form, Brahman has none, so the waves keep a shape and the world in Brahman does not.