शोच्यतां परमां याति तरुणस्तरुणीपरः । निबद्धः करिणीलोलो विन्ध्यखाते यथा गजः ॥ ३४ ॥
śōcyatāṁ paramāṁ yāti taruṇastaruṇīparaḥ | nibaddhaḥ kariṇīlōlō vindhyakhātē yathā gajaḥ || 34 ||
Translation
A young man devoted to a young woman comes to the most pitiable state, like an elephant, eager for a she-elephant, caught in a pit in the Vindhya.
Word by word
- śōcyatāṁ
- pitiable state
- paramāṁ
- the most
- yāti
- comes to
- taruṇas
- (taruṇaḥ) a young man
- taruṇī
- to a young woman
- paraḥ
- devoted
- nibaddhaḥ
- caught
- kariṇī
- for a she-elephant
- lōlō
- (lolaḥ) eager
- vindhya
- in the Vindhya
- khātē
- in a pit
- yathā
- like
- gajaḥ
- an elephant
Meaning
Elephant-catchers dug pits in the Vindhya forests and tethered a she-elephant nearby; the bull, drawn by desire, fell into the pit. the commentaries describe it. The image places the trap in desire itself: the bull falls because he wants. The reader may see why the wise guard not the pit but the wanting.