विरावी विकटास्फोटो नृसिंहो भुजपञ्जरे । सटाविकटपीनांसः कृतः क्रीडाशकुन्तकः ॥ ७ ॥
virāvī vikaṭāsphōṭō nṛsiṁhō bhujapañjarē | saṭāvikaṭapīnāṁsaḥ kṛtaḥ krīḍāśakuntakaḥ || 7 ||
Translation
the Man-Lion, roaring, with a fierce clap of his arms, his broad shoulders dreadful with his mane, has been made the hawk he plays with, in the cage of his arm;
Word by word
- virāvī
- roaring
- vikaṭa
- fierce, dreadful (twice)
- āsphōṭō
- (āsphoṭaḥ) clap of his arms
- nṛsiṁhō
- (nṛsiṃhaḥ) the Man-Lion
- bhuja
- of his arm
- pañjarē
- in the cage
- saṭā
- with his mane
- pīna
- broad
- aṁsaḥ
- his shoulders
- kṛtaḥ
- has been made
- krīḍā
- he plays with
- śakuntakaḥ
- the hawk
Meaning
A prince hunts with a hawk on his arm. Time's hawk is Nṛsiṃha, the man-lion form of Viṣṇu who tore apart Hiraṇyakaśipu: roaring, slapping his arms, maned. The commentary: he has been made Time's hunting bird for the sport of killing demons. Even the avatāras of God are, at this level, instruments in Time's game. The reader is shown how far Time's reach extends: to the forms of the divine themselves.