कारणानामभावेन तस्मादाकाशमेव सः । नैतस्य पूर्वकर्माऽस्ति नभसीव महाद्रुमः ॥ २१ ॥
kāraṇānāmabhāvēna tasmādākāśamēva saḥ | naitasya pūrvakarmā’sti nabhasīva mahādrumaḥ || 21 ||
Translation
Since the causes are absent, he is therefore space itself. He has no former action, as there is no great tree in the sky.
Word by word
- kāraṇānām
- the causes
- abhāvēna
- since are absent
- tasmād
- (tasmāt) therefore
- ākāśam
- space
- ēva
- itself
- saḥ
- he
- na
- no
- ētasya
- he has
- pūrva
- former
- karma
- action
- asti
- there is
- nabhasi
- in the sky
- iva
- as
- mahā
- great
- drumaḥ
- tree
Meaning
The commentary says which causes are meant: ignorance and the rest, or the grounds by which the changeless reality could seem to change. Since none is present, no change touches him, and he is of the nature of space. The tree in the sky is the image of what cannot grow where there is no soil: deeds need a ground to root in, and space gives them none.