यथा ह्यनुवत्सरं कृष्यमाणमप्यदग्धबीजं क्षेत्रं पुनरेवावपनकाले गुल्मतृणवीरुद्भिर्गह्वरमिव भवत्येवमेव गृहाश्रम: कर्मक्षेत्रं यस्मिन्न हि कर्माण्युत्सीदन्ति यदयं कामकरण्ड एष आवसथ: ॥ ४ ॥
yatha hy anuvatsaram krsyamanam apy adagdha-bijam ksetram punar evavapana-kale gulma-trna-virudbhir gahvaram iva bhavaty evam eva grhasramah karma-ksetram yasmin na hi karmany utsidanti yad ayam kama-karanda esa avasathah.
- yatha
- just as
- hi
- certainly
- anuvatsaram
- every year
- krsyamanam
- being plowed
- api
- although
- adagdha-bijam
- in which the seeds are not burned
- ksetram
- the field
- punah
- again
- eva
- certainly
- avapana-kale
- at the times for sowing the seeds
- gulma
- by bushes
- trna
- by grasses
- virudbhih
- by the creepers
- gahvaram iva
- like a bower
- bhavati
- becomes
- evam
- thus
- eva
- certainly
- grha-asramah
- family life
- karma-ksetram
- the field of activities
- yasmin
- in which
- na
- not
- hi
- certainly
- karmani utsidanti
- fruitive activities disappear
- yat
- therefore
- ayam
- this
- kama-karandah
- the storehouse of fruitive desire
- esah
- this
- avasathah
- abode
Every year the plowman plows over his grain field, completely uprooting all weeds. Nonetheless, the seeds lie there and, not being completely burned, again come up with the plants sown in the field. Even after being plowed under, the weeds come up densely. Similarly, the grhastha-asrama (family life) is a field of fruitive activity. Unless the desire to enjoy family life is completely burned out, it grows up again and again. Even though camphor may be removed from a pot, the pot nonetheless retains the aroma of camphor. As long as the seeds of desire are not destroyed, fruitive activities are not destroyed.