धूमेनाव्रियते वह्निर्यथादर्शो मलेन च । यथोल्बेनावृतो गर्भस्तथा तेनेदमावृतम् ॥
जैसा धूमें धंविला अनळु । कीं मळें झांकला मुकुर निर्मळु । कां गर्भ वेढिला विटाळु । जरायें जेवीं ॥
"As fire is enveloped by smoke, as a mirror by dust, and as an embryo by the womb, so is this (knowledge) covered by it (desire)."
💡 Meaning
Just as fire is covered by smoke, a mirror by dust, or an embryo by the amnion, so is knowledge covered by desire.
🔍 Deep Interpretation
Saint Dnyaneshwar explains that innate human wisdom is pure but becomes obscured by desires (Kama). He provides three metaphors: smoke covering fire, dust on a mirror, and the membrane covering an embryo. Just as smoke doesn't destroy fire but hides its brilliance, desire doesn't destroy knowledge but creates a layer of ignorance that prevents a person from perceiving reality and their true self.
🎯 Practical Application
In daily life, our biases and immediate cravings act like 'dust' on a mirror. To see the truth of a situation, we must first wipe away the dust of our emotions and prejudices through calm reflection.
📌 Context
Lord Krishna explains to Arjuna how desire acts as a veil that obscures human wisdom and prevents one from seeing the truth.