Upaniṣads · Yogakuṇḍalinī 3.30
॥
Devanāgarī
अज्ञानात्तु चिदाभासो बहिस्तापेन तापितः । दग्धं भवत्येव तदा तूलपिण्डमिवाग्निना
Transliteración (IAST)
ajñānāttu cidābhāso bahistāpena tāpitaḥ | dagdhaṃ bhavatyeva tadā tūlapiṇḍamivāgninā
Palabra por palabra
SánscritoIASTSignificado
अ-ज्ञानात् तु चित्-आभासःa-jñānāt tu cit-ābhāsaḥfrom ignorance, however, the reflection of consciousness
बहिः-तापेन तापितःbahiḥ-tāpena tāpitaḥscorched by outer heat
दग्धं भवति एव तदाdagdhaṃ bhavati eva tadābecomes burnt, then
तूल-पिण्डम् इव अग्निनाtūla-piṇḍam iva agninālike a wad of cotton by fire
Traducción
"From ignorance, however, the reflection of consciousness, scorched by outer heat, then becomes burnt, — like a wad of cotton by fire".
Versión
4d8fa1324070 · publicado 12 ago 2026, 5:00:00 UTC
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A simile is given: tula-pindam iva agnina, "like a wad of cotton by fire." The image is precise and deserves attention. Cotton burns instantly and without remainder: it flashed — and is gone; and no coal, no noticeable ash, remains of it.
Herein lies the merit of the image: it is said that ignorance departs at once, not gradually. Let us compare this with what was said of gradualness in the first chapter (1.50), where everything was shanaih shanaih, "little by little." Here — instantaneously; and there is no contradiction, for the discourse concerns different things.
The preparation takes years; but the change happens in a minute. So too with cotton: it is gathered, combed, and spun for a long time — but it burns in an instant. The Vaishnava side holds this distinction, discussed when reading the second chapter (2.27): what is earned goes slowly, what is given comes swiftly. And so in her stories a man's change is always described as sudden, even though long labor preceded it.
Worth noting too is the word chid-abhasa, "reflection of consciousness." Abhasa means "reflection, glimmer, appearance"; and the teaching that the jiva is a reflection was discussed when reading Rudra-hridaya (107) — there was the moon in the water. The objection is the same: a reflection does not ask "who am I", and the questioner in this book does ask.