Mūla — the verse
Gita Press numberingधूमेनाव्रियते वह्निर्यथाऽऽदर्शो मलेन च।
यथोल्बेनावृतो गर्भस्तथा तेनेदमावृतम्
dhūmenāvriyate vahnir yathādarśho malena cha
yatholbenāvṛito garbhas tathā tenedam āvṛitam
Anuṣṭubh
Translation
Swami Gambhīrānanda · follows Śaṅkara-bhāṣyaAs 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.
हिन्दी अनुवाद — Swami Tejomayānanda
जैसे धुयें से अग्नि और धूलि से दर्पण ढक जाता है तथा जैसे भ्रूण गर्भाशय से ढका रहता है, वैसे उस (काम) के द्वारा यह (ज्ञान) आवृत होता है।।
Pronunciation — Vaamshii
from Vaamshiiधूमेनाव् रियते वह्निः
यथा दर्शो मले नच
यथोल् बेना वृतो गर्भः
तथा तेनेद मावृतम्
॥ ३८ ॥
Read each split group as one breath-unit; hyphens join pādas kept whole for the meter or a compound word. Symbols: # upadhmānīya (visarga before p/ph), % jihvāmūlīya (visarga before k/kh), ऽ avagraha (an elided a). Full method →
Word by word
padārthadhūmenaby smoke
āvriyateis covered
vahniḥfire
yathājust as
ādarśhaḥmirror
malenaby dust
chaalso
yathājust as
ulbenaby the womb
āvṛitaḥis covered
garbhaḥembryo
tathāsimilarly
tenaby that (desire)
idamthis
āvṛitamis covered
Meaning — Questions & Solutions
from Q&A with KnA3.38By what three images is knowledge shown to be veiled by desire?
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.
The verse itself, in Swami Gambhīrānanda's rendering, is the answer. For reasoned solutions to knotty verses, browse the Q&A index.