sanaih sanaih -- very gradually; jahuh -- gave up; pankam -- their mud; sthalani -- the places of land; amam -- their unripe condition; ca -- and; virudhah -- the plants; yatha -- as; aham-mamatam -- egotism and possessiveness; dhirah -- sober sages; sarira-adishu -- focused upon the material body and other external objects; anatmasu -- which are completely distinct from the real self.

Gradually the different areas of land gave up their muddy condition and the plants grew past their unripe stage, in the same way that sober sages give up egotism and possessiveness. These are based on things different from the real self -- namely, the material body and its by-products.