नवं नवं प्रीतिकरं न शिशुः प्रत्यहं यदि । प्राप्नोति तदसौ याति विषवैषम्यमूर्छनाम् ॥ १८ ॥
navaṁ navaṁ prītikaraṁ na śiśuḥ pratyahaṁ yadi | prāpnōti tadasau yāti viṣavaiṣamyamūrchanām || 18 ||
Translation
If a child does not get something new and pleasing every day, it falls into a swoon as cruel as poison.
Word by word
- navaṁ
- something new (repeated: ever new)
- prītikaraṁ
- and pleasing
- na
- not
- śiśuḥ
- a child
- pratyahaṁ
- every day
- yadi
- if
- prāpnōti
- does get
- tad
- (tat) then
- asau
- it
- yāti
- falls into
- viṣa
- as poison
- vaiṣamya
- as cruel
- mūrchanām
- a swoon
Meaning
The child needs novelty every day; without it, the commentary says, its mind is disordered past bearing, as by poison. A child deprived of the new toy, the new sight, the new treat, despairs completely. The verse is about children, and about the craving for novelty that adults inherit. The reader may notice how quickly the new becomes old, and how strong the wish remains for the next new thing.