In plain words
9. Vairāgya is the foundation of Brahmajñāna
In the field of a refined heart Vidyā shines bright
The more faith we have, in the gods, in pilgrimages, in mantras, and even in a doctor or a guru, the more fruit we gain. In the same way, the more trust we have in the speaker, the better the heart understands the matter. For all of this, ‘purity of heart’, or ‘purity of the field’, or ‘purity of citta’ is most necessary. For if one comes suddenly out of the midst of many worldly dealings and begins on ‘Vidyā’ or on ‘inquiry into the Ātma’, it does not take hold of the citta and is wasted. First one must turn the citta away from the world and make it face the Ātma, that is, turn it inward. If seeds are sown in well-ploughed ground, a sprout comes up quickly. In the same way, in the field of a refined heart ‘the principle of Jñāna’, that is ‘Vidyā’, shines bright.