Shloka 12
Mind as Charioteer; Kṣetrajña, Tapas, and Dhyāna-Yoga
Adhyātma-Upadeśa
सर्वैरपि गुणैरविंद्वान् व्यतिषक्तो न लिप्यते | जलबिन्दुर्यथा लोल: पद्मिनीपत्रसंस्थित:
sarvair api guṇair avindvān vyatiṣakto na lipyate | jalabindur yathā lolaḥ padminīpatrasaṁsthitaḥ ||
Vāyu-deva bersabda: Walaupun seseorang dikelilingi dan terjalin dengan segala macam sifat dan keadaan, jika ia tetap tidak melekat, ia tidak ternoda olehnya. Seperti titisan air yang bergetar di atas daun teratai—tidak berpaut padanya—demikianlah orang bijaksana berada di dunia tanpa tercemar oleh sentuhan-sentuhannya.
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
One should live amidst the guṇas and worldly contacts without inner clinging; true freedom is to remain unstained—like water on a lotus leaf—by practicing non-attachment and self-governance.
Vāyu-deva instructs through a vivid simile: although a person may be surrounded by many influences and qualities, he need not be morally or spiritually tainted if he does not grasp or identify with them.