Word meanings
- kleśaḥ
- tribulations
- adhika-taraḥ
- full of
- teṣām
- of those
- avyakta
- to the unmanifest
- āsakta
- attached
- cetasām
- whose minds
- avyaktā
- the unmanifest
- hi
- indeed
- gatiḥ
- path
- duḥkham
- exceeding difficulty
- deha-vadbhiḥ
- for the embodied
- avāpyate
- is reached
Translations
Greater is their trouble whose minds are set on the unmanifested, for the goal of the unmanifested is very hard for the embodied to reach.
But they who fix their attention on the Absolute and Impersonal encounter greater hardships, for it is difficult for those who have a body to realize Me as without one.
For those whose minds are attached to the Unmanifested, the struggle is greater; for the Goal, which is the Unmanifest, is attained with difficulty by the embodied ones.
अव्यक्तमें आसक्त चित्तवाले उन साधकोंको (अपने साधनमें) कष्ट अधिक होता है; क्योंकि देहाभिमानियोंके द्वारा अव्यक्त-विषयक गति कठिनतासे प्राप्त की जाती है।Commentary
Worshippers of the Saguna (alified) and the Nirguna (unalified) Brahman reach the same goal. But the latter path is very hard and arduous, because the aspirant has to give up attachment to the body from the very beginning of his spiritual practice. The embodied Those who identify themselves with their bodies. Identification with the body is Dehabhimana. The imperishable Brahman is very hard to reach for those who are attached to their bodies. Further, it is extremely difficult to fix the resltess mind on the formless and attributeless Brahman.
Contemplation on the imperishable, attributeless Brahman demands a very sharp, onepointed and subtle intellect. The Upanishad says Drisyate tu agraya buddhya sukshmaya sukshmadarsibhih -- It is seen by subtle seers through their subtle intellect. He who meditates on the unmanifested should possess the four means. Then he will have to approach a Guru who is well versed in the scriptures and who is also established in Brahman. He will have to hear the Truth from him, then reflect and meditate on It.
He who realises the Nirguna (attributeless) Brahman attains eternal bliss or Selfrealisation or Kaivalya (Moksha) which is preceded by the destruction of ignorance with its effects. He who realises the Saguna Brahman (Brahman with attributes) goes to Brahmaloka and enjoys all the wealth and powers of the Lord. He then gets initiation into the mysteries of the Absolute from Hiranyagarbha and without any effort and without the practice of hearing, reflection and meditation attains, through the grace of the Lord alone, the same state as attained by those who have realised the Nirguna Brahman.
Through the knowledge of the Self, ignorance and its effects, are destroyed in the case of the worshippers of the Saguna Brahman also.