यस्य स्वरूपं कवयो विपश्चितो
गुणेषु दारुष्विव जातवेदसम् ।
मथ्नन्ति मथ्ना मनसा दिदृक्षवो
गूढं क्रियार्थैर्नम ईरितात्मने ॥
yasya svarūpaṁ kavayo vipaścito
guṇeṣu dāruṣv iva jāta-vedasam |
mathnanti mathnā manasā didṛkṣavo
gūḍhaṁ kriyārthair nama īritātmane ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 5.18.36)
“Obeisance unto he of manifested self whose true nature, hidden by activities and objects, the wise and learned, desirous of seeing, kindle amid the guṇas with the kindling rod of the mind like fire amid pieces of wood.”
Alternate translation according to the Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā:
“Obeisance unto he whose self is said to be hidden by activities and objects and whose true nature the wise and learned, desirous of seeing, kindle amid the guṇas with the kindling rod of the mind like fire amid pieces of wood.”
Commentary
kavayo vidvāṁso vipaścito nipuṇā guṇeṣu dehendriyādiṣu mathnanti vicinvanti | mathnā viveka-sādhanena manasā | kriyārthaiḥ karmabhis tat-phalaiś ca gūḍhaṁ aprakāśamānaṁ didṛkṣavaḥ | evaṁ mathane īritaḥ prakaṭita ātmā svarūpaṁ yasya tasmai namaḥ |
(Bhāvārtha-dīpikā)
“The wise (kavayaḥ), that is, the knowing, and learned (vipaścitaḥ), that is, expert, kindle (mathnanti) amid the guṇas (guṇeṣu), that is, discriminate amid the body, senses, and so forth, with the kindling rod (mathnā), that is, with the means of discrimination (viveka), of the mind (manasā), being desirous of seeing [whose true nature, which is] hidden (gūḍhaṁ), that is, unmanifested, by activities and objects (kriyārthaiḥ), that is, by karmas and their results—obeisance unto he whose self (ātmā), that is, true nature, is arisen (īritaḥ), that is, manifested, in this way [i.e., obeisance unto the Supreme Being whose true nature is manifested to the wise and learned who discriminate with the mind in regard to the nature of the body, senses, and so forth].”
kavayo vidvāṁso vipaścito bhakti-caturā yasya guṇeṣu śabda-rūpādiṣu kṛṣṇa-rāmeti nīlotpala-dūrvā-dala-śyāmety-ādiṣu manasā mathnā mathana-sādhanena yasya svarūpaṁ didṛkṣavo mathnanti dāruṣv iva jāta-vedasam iti yathā mathaneniva jāta-vedā vahniḥ pratyakṣībhavati, tathaivātra—yasya nāma-rūpādiṣu punaḥ punar mano-nidhānam eva mathanaṁ, tenaiva yat-svarūpaṁ pratyakṣīkurvantīty arthaḥ | kīdṛśaṁ? kriyārthaiḥ karmabhis tat-phalaiś ca gūḍhaṁ bhaktyaiva naiṣkarmye saty eva draṣṭuṁ śakyam ity arthaḥ | evam eva īritaḥ kathitaḥ ātmā svabhāvo yasya yatno vā yatra tasmai | yad vā, guṇeṣu śrotra-vāg-indriyeṣu yasya svarūpaṁ svarūpa-bhūtaṁ nāma-guṇa-līlādi-śrūyamāṇa-kīrtyamānādi manasā mathnā mathnanti | manaḥ-sahita-śravaṇa-kīrtanādi dṛḍhābhyāsenaiva yaṁ pratyakṣīkurvantīty arthaḥ | anyat samānam |
(Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā)
“The wise (kavayaḥ), that is, the knowing, and learned (vipaścitaḥ), that is, adept in bhakti, desirous of seeing whose true nature, with the kindling rod (mathnā), that is, with the means of kindling, of the mind, kindle amid whose guṇas, that is, amid whose names such as Kṛṣṇa and Rāma, forms such as that which is deep blue like a lotus and that which is greenish like a blade of dūrvā grass, and so forth, like fire amid pieces of wood [i.e., just as fire is kindled by twisting a kindling rod amid pieces of wood, so the wise who are adept in bhakti kindle the true nature of the Supreme Being with the kindling rod of the mind amid his names, forms, and so forth, which are comparable to the piece of wood a kindling rod is set amidst to kindle fire]. As fire (jāta-vedā) becomes directly perceptible by kindling [it], so exactly here, specifically fixing the mind again and again on his names, forms, and so on is [equivalent to the act of] kindling [fire], and specifically by that [act of fixing the mind] they [i.e., the wise and learned] directly perceive whose [i.e., his] true nature. This is the meaning. Of what character [is that true nature of his]? Hidden by activities and objects (gūḍhaṁ kriyārthaiḥ), meaning, able to be seen only when the cessation of karma (naiṣkarmya) comes about solely by means of bhakti. [Obeisance] Unto he whose self (ātmā), that is, nature (svabhāva), or, [unto he] in regard to whom endeavor, is said (īritaḥ) to be just such. Alternately, the meaning is as follows: amid the guṇas, that is, amid the senses, such as the ears and speech, they kindle with the kindling rod of the mind whose true nature (svarūpaṁ), that is, [whose] inherent names, qualities, līlās, and so on which are being heard about, being praised, and so on, that is, they directly perceive whom [i.e., him] solely by means of firm practice (abhyāsa) in the form of hearing [of him], praising [him], and so forth with the mind. The [meaning of the] rest [of the verse in the context of this alternate interpretation] is the same.”