Shloka
महामोहग्राहग्रसनगलितात्मावगमनो
धियो नानावस्थाः स्वयमभिनयंस्तद्गुणतया ।
अपारे संसारे विषयविषपूरे जलनिधौ
निमज्ज्योन्मज्ज्यायं भ्रमति कुमतिः कुत्सितगतिः ॥ १४३ ॥
mahāmohagrāhagrasanagalitātmāvagamano
dhiyo nānāvasthāḥ svayamabhinayaṃstadguṇatayā ;
apāre saṃsāre viṣayaviṣapūre jalanidhau
nimajjyonmajjyāyaṃ bhramati kumatiḥ kutsitagatiḥ . 143 .
Anvaya
- अयम्ayam
- This person
- महा–मोह–ग्राह–ग्रसन–गलित–आत्मावगमनःmahā–moha–grāha–grasana–galita–ātmāvagamanaḥ
- whose knowledge of Atman is lost, swallowed by the great crocodile called ignorance
- धियः नाना–अवस्थासुdhiyaḥ nānā–avasthāsu
- in different moods of mind
- अभिनयन् तद्–गुणतयाabhinayan tad–guṇatayā
- attributing those guṇa–s to his Self (dancing according to its tunes)
- अपारे संसारेapāre saṃsāre
- in this endless cycle of birth and death
- जल–निधौjala–nidhau
- ocean
- विषय–विषपूरेviṣaya–viṣapūre
- filled with the poison of sense objects
- निमज्ज्यnimajjya
- having drowned
- उन्मज्ज्यunmajjya
- having floated
- अयंayaṃ
- the person
- कुमुतिःkumutiḥ
- ignorant person
- कुत्सित–गतिःkutsita–gatiḥ
- in wrong paths
- भ्रह्मतिbhrahmati
- rotates
Translation
The person (under the influence of māyā) whose knowledge of Atman is lost, swallowed by the great crocodile called ignorance, dances according to the different moods of the mind. In this endless ocean of birth and death, filled with the poison of sense objects, he drowns and floats and rotates in wrong paths as an ignorant person.
Annotation
1) Ignorance is compared to a crocodile in the Vedanta tradition (cf. the story of Gajendra in the Bhagavatam). 2) ‘The different moods of mind’ – are desire, volition, doubt, decision, fear etc. The ignorant person attributes the properties of the mind on his Self. 3) ‘Drowns and floats’ – attains inferior or higher births.