ललनालानसंलीना मुने मानवदन्तिनः । प्रबोधं नाऽधिगच्छन्ति दृढैरपि शमाङ्कुशैः ॥ १० ॥
lalanālānasaṁlīnā munē mānavadantinaḥ | prabōdhaṁ nā’dhigacchanti dṛḍhairapi śamāṅkuśaiḥ || 10 ||
Translation
Men, like elephants, sunk at the post that is a woman, do not wake, O sage, even with the firm goads of calm.
Word by word
- lalanā
- that is a woman
- ālāna
- at the post
- saṁlīnā
- (saṃlīnāḥ) sunk
- munē
- O sage
- mānava
- men
- dantinaḥ
- like elephants
- prabōdhaṁ
- wake
- na
- not
- adhigacchanti
- do
- dṛḍhair
- (dṛḍhaiḥ) with the firm
- api
- even
- śama
- of calm
- aṅkuśaiḥ
- goads
Meaning
An elephant chained at its post (ālāna, as in 1.19 and 1.20) and sunk in sleep does not wake even when goaded. Men bound by desire are such elephants: even the goad of śama, inner calm, does not rouse them. the commentaries agree. The verse describes how deep the sleep of passion is: argument and resolve do not reach it.