Shloka 9
सर्व एकार्णवे मग्ना जीर्णा वनगजा इव / यस्त्वाननं निबध्नाति दुर्मतिः कोशकारवत्
sarva ekārṇave magnā jīrṇā vanagajā iva / yastvānanaṃ nibadhnāti durmatiḥ kośakāravat
Semua tenggelam dalam satu samudra (saṃsāra), letih dan renta laksana gajah tua di rimba. Dan siapa, karena budi sesat, mengikat mulutnya sendiri, ia seperti ulat sutra yang memintal kepompong bagi dirinya.
Lord Vishnu
Concept: Beings sink in saṃsāra and exhaust themselves; through wrong understanding one self-binds like a silkworm—bondage is self-woven.
Vedantic Theme: Bandha is sustained by one’s own avidyā and saṅkalpa; liberation begins with recognizing self-created constraints and reversing them through right view.
Application: Identify self-binding habits (compulsive speech, denial, rationalizations, addictions); practice satya, silence when needed, and corrective inquiry to stop ‘spinning the cocoon’.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Related Themes: Garuda Purana: frequent ocean-of-saṃsāra imagery and warnings that the jīva’s own actions/attachments create bondage.
FAQs
This verse uses the single ocean as a symbol of saṁsāra—an all-encompassing cycle in which beings become exhausted through repeated suffering, highlighting the need for right understanding and liberation-oriented conduct.
It implies that suffering continues when one remains submerged in worldly delusion; self-created bondage—like the silkworm’s cocoon—keeps the soul trapped, rather than external forces alone.
Avoid self-defeating habits of thought and speech; cultivate discernment (viveka), truthful restraint, and dharmic living so that one does not create one’s own bondage through ignorance.