Chapter 2 · Verse 70

Transcendental Knowledge

आपूर्यमाणमचलप्रतिष्ठं समुद्रमापः प्रविशन्ति यद्वत्। तद्वत्कामा यं प्रविशन्ति सर्वे स शान्तिमाप्नोति न कामकामी

āpūryamāṇam achala-pratiṣhṭhaṁ samudram āpaḥ praviśhanti yadvat tadvat kāmā yaṁ praviśhanti sarve sa śhāntim āpnoti na kāma-kāmī

Word Meanings

āpūryamāṇam achala-pratiṣhṭham samudram āpaḥ praviśhanti yadvat tadvat kāmāḥ yam praviśhanti sarve saḥ śhāntim āpnoti na kāma-kāmī

Translation

As waters flow into the ocean, which though ever being filled remains steady and unmoved, so too the one into whom all desires enter without causing disturbance attains peace—not the one who yearns after desires.

Commentary

आपूर्यमाणम् filled from all sides? अचलप्रतिष्ठम् based in stillness? समुद्रम् ocean? आपः water? प्रविशन्ति enter? यद्वत् as? तद्वत् so? कामाः desires? यम् whom? प्रविशन्ति enter? सर्वे all? सः he? शान्तिम् peace? आप्नोति attains? न not? कामकामी desirer of desires.Commentary Just as the ocean filled with waters from all sides remains unmoved? so also the sage who is resting in his own Svarupa or the Self is not a bit affected though desires of all sorts enter from all sides. The sage attains peace or liberation but not he who longs for objects of sensual enjoyment and entertains various desires. (Cf.XVIII.53?54).