the thread of karma causative for the present body
प्रयातुprayātu
let it go
तिष्ठतु वाtiṣṭhatu vā
or stay
स्रक् वाsrak vā
like a garland
गोःgoḥ
around the cow’s neck
तत्त्व–वेत्ताtattva–vettā
the realised person
लीन–वृत्तिःlīna–vṛttiḥ
the person whose thought process is resolved (in Brahman)
आनन्द–आत्मनिānanda–ātmani
in the blissful Self
ब्रह्मणिbrahmaṇi
in Brahman
न तत् पश्यतिna tat paśyati
does not see it
पुनःpunaḥ
again
Translation
Let the body, strung by the thread of karma causing it, depart or stay, like a garland around the cow’s neck. The realised person, whose thoughts are resolved in Brahman, the blissful Self, does not bother for it again.
Annotation
People, out of reverence, put a garland around a cow’s neck but the cow does not care whether the garland is withering away or staying. Similarly, a realised person has no identification with the body–mind–complex. His thoughts are resolved in Brahman (Jagadguru). The baggage of karma (sañcita karma) of previous births is already burnt away by the fire of knowledge.