BG 3.38
धूमेनाव्रियते वह्निर्यथादर्शो मलेन च ।
यथोल्बेनावृतो गर्भस्तथा तेनेदमावृतम् ॥
यथोल्बेनावृतो गर्भस्तथा तेनेदमावृतम् ॥
dhūmenāvriyate vahnir yathādarśo malena ca
yatholbenāvṛto garbhas tathā tenedam āvṛtam
yatholbenāvṛto garbhas tathā tenedam āvṛtam
Word-for-word meanings
yathā — just as; vahniḥ — fire; āvriyate — is covered; dhūmena — by smoke; ādarśaḥ — a mirror; malena — by dirt; ca — and; yathā — just as; garbhaḥ — the embryo; āvṛtaḥ — is covered; ulbena — by the womb; tathā — in the same way; idam — this [discernment]; āvṛtam — is covered; tena — by that [desire].
Translation
Just as fire is covered by smoke, a mirror by dirt, and the embryo by the womb, so is discernment (jñāna) covered by desire (kāma).