इन्द्रियाणां हि चरतां यन्मनोऽनुविधीयते ।तदस्य हरति प्रज्ञां वायुर्नावमिवाम्भसि ॥
indriyāṇāṃ hi caratāṃ yan mano 'nuvidhīyate |tad asya harati prajñāṃ vāyur nāvam ivāmbhasi ||
- इन्द्रियाणाम् · indriyāṇām
- of the senses
- हि · hi
- indeed
- चरताम् · caratām
- roaming, wandering
- यत् · yat
- which
- मनः · manaḥ
- the mind
- अनुविधीयते · anuvidhīyate
- follows, runs after
- तत् · tat
- that
- अस्य · asya
- his
- हरति · harati
- carries away
- प्रज्ञाम् · prajñām
- wisdom
- वायुः · vāyuḥ
- the wind
- नावम् · nāvam
- a boat
- इव · iva
- like
- अम्भसि · ambhasi
- on the waters
“When the mind runs after the roaming senses, it carries away one's wisdom — as wind carries a boat across the waters.”
— Original plain-language translation
One sense is enough to hijack the whole mind — the boat needs only one gust. The simile's economy is the lesson: vigilance must be total because capture requires only a single opening.
— Reader's notes (original)