धूमेनाव्रियते वह्निर्यथाऽऽदर्शो मलेन च।
यथोल्बेनावृतो गर्भस्तथा तेनेदमावृतम्।।3.38।।
As fire is enveloped by smoke, as a mirror is obscured by dirt, and as a fetus remains enclosed in the womb, so is this shrouded by that.
Osho’s Commentary
Krishna gives three beautiful metaphors to explain how knowledge is covered by desire. Knowledge, the inner light, is like fire. It is always there. But it is covered by the smoke of desire. The fire is not destroyed, it is only hidden. If the smoke is cleared, the fire will reveal itself. Knowledge is like a mirror, the mirror of consciousness. It is meant to reflect reality as it is. But it is covered by the dust of desires, of thoughts, of memories. If the dust is wiped away, the mirror will become clear again. Knowledge is like an embryo in the womb, a potentiality waiting to be born. It is covered by the amnion of desire. The potential is there, but it needs the right conditions to manifest. In all three metaphors, the essential truth is that knowledge is not something to be acquired from the outside. It is our intrinsic nature. It is only covered. Desire is the veil. The whole spiritual process is a process of unveiling, of removing the coverings, so that which is already there can be revealed.