धूमेनाव्रियते वह्निर्यथादर्शो मलेन च ।यथोल्बेनावृतो गर्भस्तथा तेनेदमावृतम् ॥
dhūmenāvriyate vahnir yathādarśo malena ca |yatholbenāvṛto garbhas tathā tenedam āvṛtam ||
- धूमेन · dhūmena
- by smoke
- आव्रियते · āvriyate
- is covered
- वह्निः · vahniḥ
- fire
- यथा · yathā
- as
- आदर्शः · ādarśaḥ
- a mirror
- मलेन · malena
- by dust, dirt
- च · ca
- and
- उल्बेन · ulbena
- by the membrane, womb-cover
- आवृतः · āvṛtaḥ
- enclosed, covered
- गर्भः · garbhaḥ
- the embryo
- तथा · tathā
- so
- तेन · tena
- by it (desire)
- इदम् · idam
- this (wisdom)
- आवृतम् · āvṛtam
- enveloped
“As fire is covered by smoke, as a mirror by dust, and as the embryo is enclosed by the membrane — so is this (wisdom) enveloped by it.”
— Original plain-language translation
Three degrees of obscuration: smoke that lifts, dust needing wiping, a membrane shed only at birth. Desire veils wisdom with matching gradations in different seekers. The images imply hope — the fire, mirror, and child all still exist beneath.
— Reader's notes (original)