तडित्सु शरदभ्रेषु गन्धर्वनगरेषु च । स्थैर्यं येन विनिर्णीतं स विश्वसितु विग्रहे ॥ ६१ ॥
taḍitsu śaradabhrēṣu gandharvanagarēṣu ca | sthairyaṁ yēna vinirṇītaṁ sa viśvasitu vigrahē || 61 ||
Translation
Whoever has concluded that lightning, autumn clouds and cities of the gandharvas are lasting, let him trust in the body.
Word by word
- taḍitsu
- lightning
- śarad
- autumn
- abhrēṣu
- clouds
- gandharva
- of the gandharvas
- nagarēṣu
- cities
- ca
- and
- sthairyaṁ
- are lasting
- yēna
- whoever
- vinirṇītaṁ
- has concluded
- sa
- (saḥ) he
- viśvasitu
- let trust
- vigrahē
- in the body
Meaning
Lightning, a thin autumn cloud, a gandharva-nagara (a mirage city seen in the sky): three proverbial images of the fleeting and unreal. Anyone who thinks those are permanent, says Rāma with irony, may trust the body. The commentary: let such a one believe the momentary body to be long-lasting. The irony makes the reader smile and agree at the same time.