सोऽयं दीपोऽर्चिषां यद्वत्स्रोतसां तदिदं जलम् । सोऽयं पुमानिति नृणां मृषा गीर्धीर्मृषायुषाम् ॥ ४५ ॥
so ’yaṁ dīpo ’rciṣāṁ yadvat srotasāṁ tad idaṁ jalam so ’yaṁ pumān iti nṛṇāṁ mṛṣā gīr dhīr mṛṣāyuṣām
- saḥ
- this
- ayam
- the same
- dīpaḥ
- light
- arciṣām
- of the radiation of a lamp
- yadvat
- just as
- srotasām
- of the currents flowing in a river
- tat
- that
- idam
- the same
- jalam
- water
- saḥ
- this
- ayam
- the same
- pumān
- person
- iti
- thus
- nṛṇām
- of men
- mṛṣā
- false
- gīḥ
- statement
- dhīḥ
- thought
- mṛṣā-āyuṣām
- of those who are wasting their life
Although the illumination of a lamp consists of innumerable rays of light undergoing constant creation, transformation and destruction, a person with illusory intelligence who sees the light for a moment will speak falsely, saying, “This is the light of the lamp.” As one observes a flowing river, ever-new water passes by and goes far away, yet a foolish person, observing one point in the river, falsely states, “This is the water of the river.” Similarly, although the material body of a human being is constantly undergoing transformation, those who are simply wasting their lives falsely think and say that each particular stage of the body is the person’s real identity.