dhūmenāvriyate vahnir yathādarśo malena ca yatholbenāvṛto garbhas tathā tenedam āvṛtam
"As fire is covered by smoke, as a mirror by dust, as an embryo by the womb—so is wisdom covered by desire."
What This Means:
Krishna gives three examples of how desire covers wisdom: Like smoke covers fire (easy to remove), like dust covers a mirror (needs wiping), like the womb covers an embryo (needs time to emerge). Desire hides your true knowing in different degrees.
Going Deeper:
Three levels of obstruction are described. Fire/smoke: the covering is thin, easily blown away—this represents light attachment. Mirror/dust: needs deliberate effort to clean—represents moderate attachment. Embryo/womb: requires natural development, time for birth—represents deep-seated desires that take long to transcend. Everyone's wisdom is covered; the question is how thickly.
How To Apply This:
How thickly is your wisdom covered? Can you see truth through thin smoke (minor preferences), or is it buried under thick dust (strong attachments), or hidden in the womb (unconscious drives)? The smoke needs a breath, the mirror needs a cloth, the embryo needs time. Match your practice to your condition.
Key Sanskrit Terms: