यथा चित्रकृदन्तःस्था निर्देहा भाति पुत्रिका । तथैव भासते ब्रह्मा चिदाकाशाच्छरञ्जनम् ॥ ५५ ॥
yathā citrakṛdantaḥsthā nirdēhā bhāti putrikā | tathaiva bhāsatē brahmā cidākāśāccharañjanam || 55 ||
Translation
As a figure in a painter's mind shines without a body, so Brahmā shines, the clear colouring of the space of awareness.
Word by word
- yathā
- as
- citrakṛd
- (citrakṛt) of a painter's
- antaḥsthā
- in mind
- nirdēhā
- without a body
- bhāti
- shines
- putrikā
- a figure
- tathā
- so
- ēva
- indeed
- bhāsatē
- shines
- brahmā
- Brahmā
- cid
- (cit) of awareness
- ākāśāc
- (ākāśa) of the space
- accha
- clear
- rañjanam
- the colouring
Meaning
The painter first forms the picture in his mind, and it is there, whole, with no canvas. The commentary: as the image in the painter's mind is bodiless and yet appears as a figure, so the mind, which takes up the clear reflection of the space of awareness, appears in Brahmā's form. Colouring (rañjana) is the stain or tint that the clear takes on: Brahmā is awareness tinted, not awareness changed.