व्यवहाराब्धिलहरी मोहमातङ्गशृङ्खला । सर्गन्यग्रोधसुलता दुःखकैरवचन्द्रिका ॥ ३८ ॥
vyavahārābdhilaharī mōhamātaṅgaśṛṅkhalā | sarganyagrōdhasulatā duḥkhakairavacandrikā || 38 ||
Translation
She is the wave on the ocean of worldly dealings, the chain on the elephant of delusion, the fair creeper on the banyan of creation, the moonlight to the night-lilies of sorrow.
Word by word
- vyavahāra
- of worldly dealings
- abdhi
- on the ocean
- laharī
- the wave
- mōha
- of delusion
- mātaṅga
- on the elephant
- śṛṅkhalā
- the chain
- sarga
- of creation
- nyagrōdha
- on the banyan
- su
- fair
- latā
- creeper
- duḥkha
- of sorrow
- kairava
- to the night-lilies
- candrikā
- the moonlight
Meaning
Four more. Worldly business (vyavahāra) is an ocean, and craving is its wave. Delusion is a mighty elephant, and craving is the chain that binds it in place, so that delusion stays. Creation is a vast banyan, spreading and rooting again from its branches, and craving is the lovely creeper that winds through it. Sorrows are night-lilies (as in 1.13.13), and craving is the moonlight that opens them. The reader may notice how each image makes craving something that holds a larger thing together.