ललनाविपुलालाने मनोमत्तमतङ्गजः । रतिशृङ्खलया ब्रह्मन् बद्धस्तिष्ठति मूकवत् ॥ १९ ॥
lalanāvipulālānē manōmattamataṅgajaḥ | ratiśṛṅkhalayā brahman baddhastiṣṭhati mūkavat || 19 ||
Translation
The mad elephant of the mind, bound at the great post that is a woman by the chain of passion, brahmin, stands there like a mute.
Word by word
- lalanā
- that is a woman
- vipula
- at the great
- ālānē
- post
- manō
- (manaḥ) of the mind
- matta
- the mad
- mataṅgajaḥ
- elephant
- rati
- of passion
- śṛṅkhalayā
- by the chain
- brahman
- brahmin
- baddhas
- (baddhaḥ) bound
- tiṣṭhati
- stands
- mūkavat
- like a mute
Meaning
The elephant and its post again (as in verse 10). The mind, maddened, is chained by rati, sexual passion, and stands still and silent, another commentary says, like a mute. The great strength of the elephant is useless against the chain. The verse describes the strange passivity of obsession: the one who seemed most alive is unable to move or speak for himself.