लोलान्तःपुरनारीभिः कृतदोलाभिरङ्गणे । न च क्रीडति लीलाभिर्धाराभिरिव चातकः ॥ १२ ॥
lōlāntaḥpuranārībhiḥ kṛtadōlābhiraṅgaṇē | na ca krīḍati līlābhirdhārābhiriva cātakaḥ || 12 ||
Translation
"He does not play in the courtyard with the lively women of the inner palace, who have set up swings, as the cātaka does not play in showers that are only playful.
Word by word
- lōla
- lively
- antaḥpura
- of the inner palace
- nārībhiḥ
- with the women
- kṛta
- who have set up
- dōlābhir
- (dolābhiḥ) swings
- aṅgaṇē
- in the courtyard
- na
- not
- ca
- and
- krīḍati
- plays
- līlābhir
- (līlābhiḥ) playful
- dhārābhir
- (dhārābhiḥ) showers
- iva
- as
- cātakaḥ
- the cātaka
Meaning
The cātaka bird drinks only raindrops from the clouds. Another commentary takes the image: it finds no joy in water that is not the real rain it longs for. Rāma, too, is thirsting for something no pleasure gives.