विकल्पकल्पितारम्भं दुर्विलासं दुरास्पदम् । शैशवं शासनायैव पुरुषस्य न शान्तये ॥ ९ ॥
vikalpakalpitārambhaṁ durvilāsaṁ durāspadam | śaiśavaṁ śāsanāyaiva puruṣasya na śāntayē || 9 ||
Translation
Childhood, its undertakings made of fancies, its play wicked, its place a bad one, is only for a man's punishment, not for his peace.
Word by word
- vikalpa
- of fancies
- kalpita
- made
- ārambhaṁ
- its undertakings
- durvilāsaṁ
- its play wicked
- durāspadam
- its place a bad one
- śaiśavaṁ
- childhood
- śāsanāya
- for punishment
- ēva
- only
- puruṣasya
- a man's
- na
- not
- śāntayē
- for his peace
Meaning
The child sets about trifles as if they were great matters, the commentary says, at the word of another child or a fool; it makes mischief; and so it is always being scolded and punished by its elders, and never praised. "Only for punishment" (śāsanāya eva). The verse describes the child's experience of discipline from within: a long series of being corrected. The reader may remember it, and be gentler.