dhūmenāvriyate vahnir yathādarśho malena cha
yatholbenāvṛito garbhas tathā tenedam āvṛitam
dhūmena — by smoke;
āvriyate — is covered;
vahniḥ — fire;
yathā — just as;
ādarśhaḥ — mirror;
malena — by dust;
cha — also;
yathā — just as;
ulbena — by the womb;
āvṛitaḥ — is covered;
garbhaḥ — embryo;
tathā — similarly;
tena — by that (desire);
idam — this;
āvṛitam — is covered
In this verse, we see that our true awareness and understanding can be hidden by lust or desire, just like how certain things can be obscured in everyday life. Let's go into detail with the three examples given:
1. **Fire and Smoke**: Imagine a fire that’s slightly burning but is covered in smoke. The fire represents our inner divine consciousness, showing that life has a deeper purpose, often related to spirituality or a connection to God (in this case, Krsna). However, the smoke can make the fire hard to see, which means our awareness of this spiritual side is also hidden. Sometimes, even if we feel a little alive spiritually, it’s often hard to see clearly because of our desires and distractions. This is similar to when we may feel a vague understanding of what life is about but are not fully aware or enlightened yet.
2. **Mirror and Dust**: Now, think of a mirror that is covered in dust. When we look into a dusty mirror, we can't see our reflection clearly. The mirror symbolizes our mind, and the dust represents our cluttered thoughts, worries, and worldly desires. Just like we need to clean the mirror to see ourselves properly, we have to clear our minds through spiritual practices like meditation or chanting. These activities help us focus on what’s important and make our thoughts clearer so we can better understand ourselves and our purpose in life.
3. **Embryo in the Womb**: The last example is of an embryo in the womb. Here, the embryo represents a state of being where there is a lack of control or awareness. The embryo cannot move, much like how people can be unaware or unresponsive to deeper spiritual truths when they are overly attached to their desires. This condition also reflects beings like trees or animals, which are aware of their existence but lack a greater consciousness. They don’t fully understand their purpose beyond survival and immediate needs.
Overall, the verse illustrates that everyone has their own kind of 'lust' or desire that covers their true self, making them unaware of their potential for greater spiritual awakening. Human beings are in a special position because they can recognize this lust and work towards uncovering their true self through spiritual growth. This means we have the chance to overcome our distractions and desires and connect more fully with our spiritual nature, which can be ignited and made brighter through proper spiritual practice and guidance. The key message is that in our human life, we can either get lost in our desires or work towards enlightening our consciousness, leading us to true freedom.