उड्डीतुमभिवाञ्छन्ति पक्षाभ्यां क्षुत्परायणाः । भयाहारपरा नित्यं बाला विहगधर्मिणः ॥ २९ ॥
uḍḍītumabhivāñchanti pakṣābhyāṁ kṣutparāyaṇāḥ | bhayāhāraparā nityaṁ bālā vihagadharmiṇaḥ || 29 ||
Translation
Hungry, they long to fly up on their wings; ever given to fear and food, children have the nature of birds.
Word by word
- uḍḍītum
- to fly up
- abhivāñchanti
- they long
- pakṣābhyāṁ
- on their wings
- kṣut
- hungry
- parāyaṇāḥ
- given to
- bhaya
- to fear
- āhāra
- and food
- parā
- (parāḥ) given
- nityaṁ
- ever
- bālā
- (bālāḥ) children
- vihaga
- of birds
- dharmiṇaḥ
- have the nature
Meaning
Fledglings, hungry, flap their wings and try to fly before they can. Children, the commentary says, stretch out their arms to rise and fetch food, and cannot; like birds, they live by fear of others and the thought of food. The image is gentle. It sees the child as a nestling, all wanting and no power. The reader may hold both feelings: the child's helplessness is suffering, and also something to protect.