3.38
धूमेनाव्रियते वह्निर्यथादर्शो मलेन च ।
यथोल्बेनावृतो गर्भस्तथा तेनेदमावृतम् ॥
dhūmenāvriyate vahnir yathādarśo malena ca
yatholbenāvṛto garbhas tathā tenedam āvṛtam
śrībhagavān (श्रीभगवान्) is speaking, three covers first and then the thing they are a likeness of.
The verse
As fire is covered by smoke, a mirror by dust, and an embryo by the membrane, so this is covered by that.
नेपालीमा
जसरी आगो धुवाँले ढाकिन्छ, ऐना धुलाले, र गर्भ झिल्लीले, त्यसरी नै यो त्यसले ढाकिएको छ।
Where it sits
"This" is not yet named, and 3.39 will say it is knowledge, covered by desire. The three likenesses are here so the cover is understood as something wrapped around a thing that is still there.
Split: धूमेन + आव्रियते + वह्निः + यथा + आदर्शः + मलेन + च + यथा + उल्बेन + आवृतः + गर्भः + तथा + तेन + इदम् + आवृतम्
dhūmena + āvriyate + vahniḥ + yathā + ādarśaḥ + malena + ca + yathā + ulbena + āvṛtaḥ + garbhaḥ + tathā + tena + idam + āvṛtam
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| देवनागरी | Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|---|
| धूमेन | dhūmena | instrumental | by smoke. |
| आव्रियते | āvriyate | present, 3rd singular, passive | is covered. |
| वह्निः | vahniḥ | nominative | fire. |
| यथा | yathā | indeclinable | as. |
| आदर्शः | ādarśaḥ | nominative | a mirror. |
| मलेन | malena | instrumental | by dust, by dirt. |
| च | ca | indeclinable | and. |
| यथा | yathā | indeclinable | as. |
| उल्बेन | ulbena | instrumental | by the membrane, the caul around an embryo. |
| आवृतः | āvṛtaḥ | nominative | covered. |
| गर्भः | garbhaḥ | nominative | an embryo. |
| तथा | tathā | indeclinable | so. |
| तेन | tena | instrumental | by that. By the enemy of 3.37. |
| इदम् | idam | nominative neuter | this. |
| आवृतम् | āvṛtam | nominative neuter | covered. |
The phrases
dhūmena āvriyate vahniḥ yathā (धूमेन आव्रियते वह्निः यथा) is the first cover. As fire is covered by smoke. धूमेन + आव्रियते dhūmena + āvriyate is dhūmenāvriyate (धूमेनाव्रियते). वह्निः + यथा vahniḥ + yathā is vahnir yathā (वह्निर्यथा).
ādarśaḥ malena ca (आदर्शः मलेन च) is the second, sharing yathā (यथा). And a mirror by dust. ādarśaḥ (आदर्शः) before malena (मलेन) is ādarśo (आदर्शो).
यथा उल्बेन आवृतः गर्भः तथा तेन इदम् आवृतम् yathā ulbena āvṛtaḥ garbhaḥ tathā tena idam āvṛtam is the third cover and the application. As an embryo is covered by the membrane, so this is covered by that. यथा + उल्बेन yathā + ulbena is yatholbena (यथोल्बेन). आवृतः + गर्भः āvṛtaḥ + garbhaḥ is āvṛto garbhaḥ (आवृतो गर्भः), and गर्भः + तथा garbhaḥ + tathā is garbhas tathā (गर्भस्तथा). तेन + इदम् tena + idam is tenedam (तेनेदम्).
Sanskrit in this line
yathā (यथा) is doing double duty, and tathā (तथा) closes it. The first yathā (यथा) governs fire and mirror. The second governs the embryo. tathā (तथा) is the only "so." Do not give each likeness its own conclusion. The conclusion is one: तेन इदम् आवृतम् tena idam āvṛtam.
Say it back
Three covers, in order, then the so. If the embryo's membrane is skipped, two likenesses remain and the verse's own count is lost.