स्फुरति वल्गति गच्छति याचते भ्रमति मज्जति संहरति स्वयम् । अपरतामुपयात्यपि केवलं चलति चञ्चलशक्तितया मनः ॥ ८० ॥
sphurati valgati gacchati yācatē bhramati majjati saṁharati svayam | aparatāmupayātyapi kēvalaṁ calati cañcalaśaktitayā manaḥ || 80 ||
Translation
It flashes, leaps, goes, begs, wanders, sinks, destroys of itself; it even becomes another: the mind alone moves, by its restless power.
Word by word
- sphurati
- it flashes
- valgati
- leaps
- gacchati
- goes
- yācatē
- begs
- bhramati
- wanders
- majjati
- sinks
- saṁharati
- destroys
- svayam
- of itself
- aparatām
- another
- upayāti
- becomes
- api
- even
- kēvalaṁ
- alone
- calati
- moves
- cañcala
- restless
- śaktitayā
- by its power
- manaḥ
- the mind
Meaning
The sarga ends in drutavilambita, the "quick and slow" metre, its rhythm itself restless. Seven verbs for the mind's doings, and then the word that explains them all: it is the mind alone that moves. The other commentary adds that the same mind, in saṁsāra, can decline, and can also rise to the height of freedom. One can watch it in oneself, flashing, leaping, begging, sinking, and know that none of this is the seer.