किं सम्पदा किं विपदा किं गेहेन किमिङ्गितैः । सर्वमेवाऽसदित्युक्त्वा तूष्णीमेकोऽवतिष्ठते ॥ १८ ॥
kiṁ sampadā kiṁ vipadā kiṁ gēhēna kimiṅgitaiḥ | sarvamēvā’sadityuktvā tūṣṇīmēkō’vatiṣṭhatē || 18 ||
Translation
"'What use is prosperity, what use adversity, what use a home, what use desires?' Saying 'All this is unreal', he stays silent and alone.
Word by word
- kiṁ
- what use
- sampadā
- prosperity
- vipadā
- adversity
- gēhēna
- a home
- iṅgitaiḥ
- desires
- sarvam
- all
- ēva
- this
- asat
- is unreal
- iti
- thus
- uktvā
- saying
- tūṣṇīm
- silent
- ēkō
- (ekaḥ) alone
- avatiṣṭhatē
- he stays
Meaning
This is the first time the word "unreal" (asat) appears in Rāma's own mouth. The whole teaching of the work will grow from it.