—

अज्ञानतिमिरान्धस्य ज्ञानाञ्जनशलाकया ।
चक्षुरुन्मीलितं येन तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः ॥ २॥

ajñānatimirāndhasya jñānāñjanaśalākayā
cakṣurunmilitaṃ yena tasmai śrigurave nama: 

Salutations to my guru who opened my eyes that was blinded (cataract) due to ignorance with a needle of knowledge.

—

Let us try to expound the meaning of the above verse:

When one is immersed in the dream world, everything within it feels entirely real. Upon waking, one realizes that it was merely a dream—an illusion, a fleeting trick of the mind, without any true bearing on reality. Yet, in the moment, while dreaming, it all seemed vividly real. This phenomenon mirrors our waking life, where māyā crafts an illusory narrative that veils the true nature of the Self. This ignorance (ajñāna) leaves us ensnared and suffering, unable to recognize our inherent divinity.

Through the āvaraṇa śakti of māyā, our true effulgent nature is obscured, much like cataract-induced blindness (timirā andha). Perplexed and entangled in confusion, we forget who we truly are. Simultaneously, māyā’s vikshepa śakti projects this illusory world, binding us to the cycle of samsāra.

In ancient times, cataracts were removed using a sharp needle (śalāka), skillfully wielded to restore physical vision. Similarly, the Guru, with great care and precision, removes the “cataract” (timirā andha) of ignorance (ajñāna) by applying the “ointment of knowledge” (jñānāñjana) to open the inner eye of wisdom (cakṣurunmilitaṃ). This act of grace reveals the ultimate truth—the eternal, indivisible Self.

To that Guru, who performs this divine operation of awakening, I offer my deepest salutations (tasmai śrīgurave namaḥ).