आपातमात्ररमणेषु सुदुस्तरेषु भोगेषु नाऽहमलिपक्षतिचञ्चलेषु । ब्रह्मन् रमे मरणरोगजरादिभीत्या शाम्याम्यहं परमुपैमि पदं प्रयत्नात् ॥ ३६ ॥
āpātamātraramaṇēṣu sudustarēṣu bhōgēṣu nā’hamalipakṣaticañcalēṣu | brahman ramē maraṇarōgajarādibhītyā śāmyāmyahaṁ paramupaimi padaṁ prayatnāt || 36 ||
Translation
In pleasures, delightful only at first touch, very hard to cross, fickle as the wings of bees, I take no delight, brahmin, out of fear of death, sickness, old age and the rest; I grow calm, and with effort I go to the highest state.
Word by word
- āpāta
- at first touch
- mātra
- only
- ramaṇēṣu
- delightful
- sudustarēṣu
- very hard to cross
- bhōgēṣu
- in pleasures
- na
- no
- aham
- I
- ali
- of bees
- pakṣati
- as the wings
- cañcalēṣu
- fickle
- brahman
- brahmin
- ramē
- take delight
- maraṇa
- of death
- rōga
- sickness
- jarā
- old age
- ādi
- and the rest
- bhītyā
- out of fear
- śāmyāmi
- grow calm
- param
- the highest
- upaimi
- go to
- padaṁ
- state
- prayatnāt
- with effort
Meaning
The sarga closes in vasantatilakā (fourteen syllables a pāda) with a resolution. Pleasures are lovely at first touch, hard to get out of once entered, and as restless as the wings of a bee. For fear of what follows them, death, disease, age, Rāma takes no delight in them. And the positive turn: "I grow calm, and with effort I go to the highest state" (śāmyāmy aham, param upaimi padam prayatnāt). The sarga's harsh analysis has been for this: not hatred of women, but the decision to seek what does not pass.