शुभाशुभविषाणाग्रबिलूनजनपल्लवः । स्फूर्जति स्फीतजनताजीवराजीवनीगजः ॥ १३ ॥
śubhāśubhaviṣāṇāgrabilūnajanapallavaḥ | sphūrjati sphītajanatājīvarājīvanīgajaḥ || 13 ||
Translation
The elephant of Time trumpets in the lotus-pond of the lives of the swollen multitudes, tearing the leaves of people with the tips of its tusks, good and evil.
Word by word
- śubha
- good
- aśubha
- and evil
- viṣāṇa
- of its tusks
- agra
- with the tips
- bilūna
- tearing
- jana
- of people
- pallavaḥ
- the leaves
- sphūrjati
- trumpets
- sphīta
- of the swollen
- janatā
- multitudes
- jīva
- of the lives
- rājīvanī
- in the lotus-pond
- gajaḥ
- the elephant
Meaning
A wild elephant wades into a lotus pond and tears the leaves with its tusks. Time is that elephant; the pond is the crowd of proud lives; and its two tusks are śubha and aśubha, merit and sin. The image is subtle: Time destroys by means of people's own deeds, good and bad alike, for each ripens and passes.