Chapter 11
गुणानुरक्तं व्यसनाय जन्तो: क्षेमाय नैर्गुण्यमथो मन: स्यात् । यथा प्रदीपो घृतवर्तिमश्नन् शिखा: सधूमा भजति ह्यन्यदा स्वम् । पदं तथा गुणकर्मानुबद्धं वृत्तीर्मन: श्रयतेऽन्यत्र तत्त्वम् ॥ ८ ॥
Transliteration
guṇānuraktaṁ vyasanāya jantoḥ kṣemāya nairguṇyam atho manaḥ syāt yathā pradīpo ghṛta-vartim aśnan śikhāḥ sadhūmā bhajati hy anyadā svam padaṁ tathā guṇa-karmānubaddhaṁ vṛttīr manaḥ śrayate ’nyatra tattvam
Synonyms (Word-for-Word)
guṇa-anuraktam — being attached to the material modes of nature; vyasanāya — for the conditioning in material existence; jantoḥ — of the living entity; kṣemāya — for the ultimate welfare; nairguṇyam — being unaffected by the material modes of nature; atho — thus; manaḥ — the mind; syāt — becomes; yathā — as much as; pradīpaḥ — a lamp; ghṛta-vartim — a wick within clarified butter; aśnan — burning; śikhāḥ — the flame; sadhūmāḥ — with smoke; bhajati — enjoys; hi — certainly; anyadā — otherwise; svam — its own original; padam — position; tathā — so; guṇa-karma-anubaddham — bound by the modes of nature and the reactions of material activities; vṛttīḥ — various engagements; manaḥ — the mind; śrayate — takes shelter of; anyatra — otherwise; tattvam — its original condition.
Translation
“When the living entity’s mind becomes absorbed in the sense gratification of the material world, it brings about his conditioned life and suffering within the material situation. However, when the mind becomes unattached to material enjoyment, it becomes the cause of liberation. When the flame in a lamp burns the wick improperly, the lamp is blackened, but when the lamp is filled with ghee and is burning properly, there is bright illumination. Similarly, when the mind is absorbed in material sense gratification, it causes suffering, and when detached from material sense gratification it brings about the original brightness of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.”