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Bhagavad Gita · 3.38 · Path of Selfless Service·38 of 43

धूमेनाव्रियते वह्निर्यथाऽऽदर्शो मलेन चयथोल्बेनावृतो गर्भस्तथा तेनेदमावृतम्

dhūmenāvriyate vahnir yathādarśho malena cha

yatholbenāvṛito garbhas tathā tenedam āvṛitam

Sanskrit recitation

Desire as the inner enemy · 3.36–3.43 · Teaching

Translation

As fire is enveloped by smoke, as a mirror is covered by dust, and as an embryo is surrounded by the amniotic sac, so is this enveloped by that.

Meaning

This means the universe. This also means knowledge. That means desire.

After Swami Sivananda

Desire as the inner enemy· 3.36–3.43

Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.

Word-by-word
cha
also
idam
this
tena
by that (desire)
malena
by dust
tathā
similarly
ulbena
by the womb
yathā
just as
dhūmena
by smoke
vahniḥ
fire
garbhaḥ
embryo
āvriyate
is covered
āvṛitam
is covered
ādarśhaḥ
mirror
āvṛitaḥ
is covered

Related verses

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