युज्यते वेष्टनं वायोराकाशस्य च खण्डनम् । ग्रथनं च तरङ्गाणामास्था नाऽऽयुषि युज्यते ॥ ५ ॥
yujyatē vēṣṭanaṁ vāyōrākāśasya ca khaṇḍanam | grathanaṁ ca taraṅgāṇāmāsthā nā’’yuṣi yujyatē || 5 ||
Translation
One might wrap up the wind, cut the sky to pieces, and string the waves on a thread; but trust in life cannot be had.
Word by word
- yujyatē
- one might (repeated: can be had)
- vēṣṭanaṁ
- wrap up
- vāyōr
- (vāyoḥ) the wind
- ākāśasya
- the sky
- ca
- and
- khaṇḍanam
- cut to pieces
- grathanaṁ
- string on a thread
- taraṅgāṇām
- the waves
- āsthā
- trust
- na
- cannot
- āyuṣi
- in life
Meaning
Three impossible things are named, and declared more possible than the fourth. Wind cannot be wrapped, space cannot be cut, waves cannot be strung like beads. Yet, another commentary notes, even these might somehow be done; to rely on life is beyond even them. The figure is a deliberate overstatement, meant to break the quiet assumption with which everyone lives: that there will be a tomorrow, and next year, and time later for what matters. The verse does not ask for fear; it asks that one stop building on that assumption.