Devanagari
मन्यमान इदं विश्वं मायारचितमात्मनि ।
अविद्यारचितस्वप्नगन्धर्वनगरोपमम् ॥ १५ ॥
Verse text
manyamāna idaṁ viśvaṁ
māyā-racitam ātmani
avidyā-racita-svapna-
gandharva-nagaropamam
Synonyms
manyamānaḥ
—
realizing
;
idam
—
this
;
viśvam
—
universe
;
māyā
—
by the external energy
;
racitam
—
manufactured
;
ātmani
—
unto the living entity
;
avidyā
—
by illusion
;
racita
—
manufactured
;
svapna
—
a dream
;
gandharva
—
nagara — phantasmagoria
;
upamam
—
like .
Translation
Śrīla Dhruva Mahārāja realized that this cosmic manifestation bewilders living entities like a dream or phantasmagoria because it is a creation of the illusory, external energy of the Supreme Lord.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Passing many years suitable for enjoyment of artha, dharma and kāma, with undisturbed senses, the great devotee Dhruva, realizing that this universe made by māyā is like a Gandharva city manufactured in a dream caused by ignorance in oneself, handed over the throne to his son.
He passed many years suitable of enjoyment of artha, dharma and kāma. Since it is made of māyā, the universe is real. However, by ignorance within the self, it appears unreal and is thus compared to a Gandharva city in a dream made by ignorance.
Purport
In the deep forest it sometimes appears that there are big palaces and nice cities. That is technically called
gandharva-nagara.
Similarly, in dreams also we create many false things out of imagination. A self-realized person, or a devotee, knows well that this material cosmic manifestation is a temporary, illusory representation appearing to be truth. It is like a phantasmagoria. But behind this shadow creation there is reality — the spiritual world. A devotee is interested in the spiritual world, not its shadow. Since he has realization of the supreme truth, a devotee is not interested in this temporary shadow of truth. This is confirmed in the
Bhagavad-gītā
(
paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate
).