Shloka
अनुव्रजच्चित्प्रतिबिम्बशक्ति -
र्विज्ञानसंज्ञः प्रकृतेर्विकारः ।
ज्ञानक्रियावानहमित्यजस्रं
देहेन्द्रियादिष्वभिमन्यते भृशम् ॥ १८७ ॥
anuvrajaccitpratibimbaśakti -
rvijñānasaṃjñaḥ prakṛtervikāraḥ ;
jñānakriyāvānahamityajasraṃ
dehendriyādiṣvabhimanyate bhṛśam . 187 .
Anvaya
- अनुव्रजत्–चित्–प्रतिबिम्ब–शक्तिःanuvrajat–cit–pratibimba–śaktiḥ
- Followed by the reflection of consciousness (cit)
- विज्ञान–संज्ञःvijñāna–saṃjñaḥ
- the sheath called ego
- प्रकृतेः विकारःprakṛteḥ vikāraḥ
- a modification of prakṛti
- ज्ञान–क्रियावान्jñāna–kriyāvān
- having the characteristics of knowledge and action
- अहम् इतिaham iti
- with the notion of ‘I’
- अजस्रंajasraṃ
- always
- देह–इन्द्रियादिषुdeha–indriyādiṣu
- in the body and sense organs
- अभिमन्यते भृशम्abhimanyate bhṛśam
- has excessive identification
Translation
Followed by the reflection of consciousness (cit), the ego sheath, a modification of prakṛti, is characterised by knowledge and action. It always has total identification with the body–mind–complex.
Annotation
Ego is the collective product of the sattva components of the five elements and hence it is capable of reflecting the Brahman consciousness. It is the anupraveśa of the consciousness. It means that intellect is the place where Brahman can be realised (Jagadguru). “Followed by the reflection of consciousness” – refers to the anupraveśa mentioned in Tait.Up. ‘Following’ does not mean a literal entry of consciousness into intellect but implies that Brahman is realised in the intellect. The infinite consciousness appears as though conditioned by intellect, which by itself is insentient. The intellect becomes its limiting adjunct (upādhi).