अमूलमेतद् बहुरूपरूपितं मनोवच:प्राणशरीरकर्म । ज्ञानासिनोपासनया शितेन- च्छित्त्वा मुनिर्गां विचरत्यतृष्ण: ॥ १७ ॥
amūlam etad bahu-rūpa-rūpitaṁ mano-vacaḥ-prāṇa-śarīra-karma jñānāsinopāsanayā śitena cchittvā munir gāṁ vicaraty atṛṣṇaḥ
- amūlam
- without foundation
- etat
- this (false ego)
- bahu-rūpa
- in many forms
- rūpitam
- ascertained
- manaḥ
- of the mind
- vacaḥ
- speech
- prāṇa
- the life air
- śarīra
- and the gross body
- karma
- the functions
- jñāna
- of transcendental knowledge
- asinā
- by the sword
- upāsanayā
- through devotional worship (of the spiritual master)
- śitena
- which has been sharpened
- chittvā
- cutting off
- muniḥ
- a sober sage
- gām
- this earth
- vicarati
- wanders
- atṛṣṇaḥ
- free from material desires
Although the false ego has no factual basis, it is perceived in many forms — as the functions of the mind, speech, life air and bodily faculties. But with the sword of transcendental knowledge, sharpened by worship of a bona fide spiritual master, a sober sage will cut off this false identification and live in this world free from all material attachment.