धूमेनाव्रियते वह्निर्यथाऽऽदर्शो मलेन च।
यथोल्बेनावृतो गर्भस्तथा तेनेदमावृतम्।।3.38।।
।।3.38।।जैसे धुएँसे अग्नि और मैलसे दर्पण ढक जाता है तथा जैसे जेरसे गर्भ ढका रहता है ऐसे ही उस कामके द्वारा यह ज्ञान (विवेक) ढका हुआ है।
3.38 Yatha, as; vahnih, fire, which is naturally bright; avriyate, is enveloped; dhumena, by smoke, which is born concomitantly (with fire) and is naturally dark; or as adarsah, a mirror; is covered malena, by dirt; ca, and; garbhah, a foetus; is avrtah, enclosed; ulbena, in the womb by the amnion; tatha, so; is idam, this; avrtam, shrouded; tena, by that. Again, what is that which is indicated by the word idam (this), and which is covered by desire? The answer is:
3.38 Dhumena etc. [The foes tripple nature viz.] being a mischivous appendage, himself creating mischieves, and being an object of disgust, is explained by the triad of these similes. He : the Self.
3.38 As a fire is enveloped by smoke, as a mirror by dust and as an embryo by the membrance, so are the embodied beings covered by this desire. Sri Krsna teaches the mode of this envelopement:
Dhoomenaavriyate vahnir yathaadarsho malena cha; Yatholbenaavrito garbhas tathaa tenedam aavritam.
dhūmena—by smoke; āvriyate—is covered; vahniḥ—fire; yathā—just as; ādarśhaḥ—mirror; malena—by dust; cha—also; yathā—just as; ulbena—by the womb; āvṛitaḥ—is covered; garbhaḥ—embryo; tathā—similarly; tena—by that (desire); idam—this; āvṛitam—is covered