लीलासु दुर्विलासेषु दुरीहासु दुराशये । परमं मोहमाधत्ते बालो बलवदापतन् ॥ ८ ॥
līlāsu durvilāsēṣu durīhāsu durāśayē | paramaṁ mōhamādhattē bālō balavadāpatan || 8 ||
Translation
In games, in mischief, in bad wishes and in wicked intent, the child falls headlong and takes on the greatest delusion.
Word by word
- līlāsu
- in games
- durvilāsēṣu
- in mischief
- durīhāsu
- in bad wishes
- durāśayē
- in wicked intent
- paramaṁ
- the greatest
- mōham
- delusion
- ādhattē
- takes on
- bālō
- (bālaḥ) the child
- balavat
- headlong
- āpatan
- falls
Meaning
The child throws itself into play, pranks and wants, "violently" (balavat), with all its strength. In each of them, the commentary says, it takes these to be the things that matter, and falls into great confusion. The verse sees play from an unusual angle: not as innocent joy, but as the child's complete absorption in what is not real. The reader may notice that adult life has its own games, pursued with the same headlong seriousness.