नाशायैव मदार्त्तस्य दोषमौक्तिकधारिणः । अभिमानमहेभस्य नित्यालानं हि यौवनम् ॥ २२ ॥
nāśāyaiva madārttasya dōṣamauktikadhāriṇaḥ | abhimānamahēbhasya nityālānaṁ hi yauvanam || 22 ||
Translation
For the great elephant of pride, maddened with rut and wearing the pearls of faults, youth is the post to which it is always tied, only for its ruin.
Word by word
- nāśāya
- for its ruin
- ēva
- only
- mada
- with rut
- ārttasya
- maddened
- dōṣa
- of faults
- mauktika
- the pearls
- dhāriṇaḥ
- wearing
- abhimāna
- of pride
- mahā
- the great
- ibhasya
- for the elephant
- nitya
- always
- ālānaṁ
- the post
- hi
- indeed
- yauvanam
- youth
Meaning
Elephants in rut were said to carry pearls in their temples; this one carries the pearls of faults. It is the elephant of abhimāna, pride, and youth is the post it is chained to, the commentary says, for its fall: as a post breaks the arrogance of a mad elephant, so youth brings down the proud. The image from childhood (1.19.3, 25) returns: youth too is a chaining post, only now the elephant is grown and proud.