snehÄdhiṣṭhÄna-varty-agni-
saá¹yogo yÄvad Ä«yate
tÄvad dÄ«pasya dÄ«patvam
evaṠdeha-kṛto bhavaḥ
rajaḥ-sattva-tamo-vá¹›ttyÄ
jÄyate 'tha vinaÅ›yati

 sneha - of the oil; adhiṣṭhÄna - the vessel; varti - the wick; agni - and the fire; saá¹yogaḥ - the combination; yÄvat - to which extent; Ä«yate - is seen; tÄvat - to that extent; dÄ«pasya - of the lamp; dÄ«patvam - the status of functioning as a lamp; evam - similarly; deha-ká¹›taḥ - due to the material body; bhavaḥ - material existence; rajaḥ-sattva-tamaḥ - of the modes of passion, goodness and ignorance; vá¹›ttyÄ - by the action; jÄyate - arises; atha - and; vinaÅ›yati - is destroyed.


Text

A lamp functions as such only by the combination of its fuel, vessel, wick and fire. Similarly, material life, based on the soul’s identification with the body, is developed and destroyed by the workings of material goodness, passion and ignorance, which are the constituent elements of the body.

Purport