गुणानुरक्तं व्यसनाय जन्तो: क्षेमाय नैर्गुण्यमथो मन: स्यात् । यथा प्रदीपो घृतवर्तिमश्नन् शिखा: सधूमा भजति ह्यन्यदा स्वम् । पदं तथा गुणकर्मानुबद्धं वृत्तीर्मन: श्रयतेऽन्यत्र तत्त्वम् ॥ ८ ॥
gunanuraktam vyasanaya jantoh ksemaya nairgunyam atho manah syat yatha pradipo ghrta-vartim asnan sikhah sadhuma bhajati hy anyada svam padam tatha guna-karmanubaddham vrttir manah srayate ’nyatra tattvam
- guna-anuraktam
- being attached to the material modes of nature
- vyasanaya
- for the conditioning in material existence
- jantoh
- of the living entity
- ksemaya
- for the ultimate welfare
- nairgunyam
- being unaffected by the material modes of nature
- atho
- thus
- manah
- the mind
- syat
- becomes
- yatha
- as much as
- pradipah
- a lamp
- ghrta-vartim
- a wick within clarified butter
- asnan
- burning
- sikhah
- the flame
- sadhumah
- with smoke
- bhajati
- enjoys
- hi
- certainly
- anyada
- otherwise
- svam
- its own original
- padam
- position
- tatha
- so
- guna-karma-anubaddham
- bound by the modes of nature and the reactions of material activities
- vrttih
- various engagements
- manah
- the mind
- srayate
- takes shelter of
- anyatra
- otherwise
- tattvam
- its original condition
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 Krsna consciousness.