सुनिर्मलाऽपि विस्तीर्णा पावन्यपि हि यौवने । मतिः कलुषतामेति प्रावृषीव तरङ्गिणी ॥ १८ ॥
sunirmalā’pi vistīrṇā pāvanyapi hi yauvanē | matiḥ kaluṣatāmēti prāvṛṣīva taraṅgiṇī || 18 ||
Translation
Even an understanding that is very pure, broad and holy grows muddy in youth, as a river in the rains.
Word by word
- su
- very
- nirmalā
- pure
- api
- even
- vistīrṇā
- broad
- pāvanī
- holy
- hi
- indeed
- yauvanē
- in youth
- matiḥ
- an understanding
- kaluṣatām
- muddy
- ēti
- grows
- prāvṛṣi
- in the rains
- iva
- as
- taraṅgiṇī
- a river
Meaning
A clear river turns brown in the monsoon with the mud it carries. The commentary: however pure the mind, free of faults; however broad, with generosity; however holy, with virtues, in youth it becomes clouded. No goodness of nature protects against it. The reader is asked not to trust their own clarity in a season of flood.