yathÄ bhramarikÄ-dṛṣá¹yÄ
bhrÄmyatÄ«va mahÄ«yate
citte kartari tatrÄtmÄ
kartevÄhaá¹-dhiyÄ smá¹›taḥ
yathÄ - as; bhramarikÄ - because of whirling around; dṛṣá¹yÄ - in one's vision; bhrÄmyati - whirling; iva - as if; mahÄ« - the ground; Ä«yate - appears; citte - the mind; kartari - being the doer; tatra - there; ÄtmÄ - the self; kartÄ - the doer; iva - as if; aham-dhiyÄ - because of false ego; smá¹›taḥ - is thought.
Just as a person who is whirling around perceives the ground to be turning, one who is affected by false ego thinks himself the doer, when actually only his mind is acting.
ÅšrÄ«la ViÅ›vanÄtha CakravartÄ« gives a parallel idea: Although our happiness and distress are caused by our own interaction with the material qualities, we perceive the Lord to be their cause.
