हर्षमायाति यो मोहात् पुरुषः क्षणभङ्गिना । यौवनेन महामुग्धः स वै नरमृगः स्मृतः ॥ ३९ ॥
harṣamāyāti yō mōhāt puruṣaḥ kṣaṇabhaṅginā | yauvanēna mahāmugdhaḥ sa vai naramṛgaḥ smṛtaḥ || 39 ||
Translation
The man who, out of delusion, rejoices in youth, which breaks in a moment, is greatly deluded: he is known as a beast among men.
Word by word
- harṣam
- to joy
- āyāti
- comes
- yō
- (yaḥ) who
- mōhāt
- out of delusion
- puruṣaḥ
- the man
- kṣaṇa
- in a moment
- bhaṅginā
- which breaks
- yauvanēna
- in youth
- mahā
- greatly
- mugdhaḥ
- deluded
- sa
- (saḥ) he
- vai
- indeed
- nara
- among men
- mṛgaḥ
- a beast
- smṛtaḥ
- is known as
Meaning
To rejoice in youth as if it would last is to be "a deer among men" (naramṛga), the Dwivedi text, a beast in human form. The deer is the animal of the mirage (verse 32). The verse is harsh, but its target is the delusion, not the joy itself. The reader may rejoice in youth wisely: knowing it breaks.