क्वचिज्जना मार्दवसुन्दरेषु क्वचित्कठोरेषु च सञ्चरन्ति । देशान्तरालेषु निरन्तरेषु वनान्तखण्डेष्विव कृष्णसाराः ॥ ३९ ॥
kvacijjanā mārdavasundarēṣu kvacitkaṭhōrēṣu ca sañcaranti | dēśāntarālēṣu nirantarēṣu vanāntakhaṇḍēṣviva kṛṣṇasārāḥ || 39 ||
Translation
Sometimes people move in places lovely with gentleness, sometimes in harsh ones, like the black antelopes in the stretches of forest between lands.
Word by word
- kvacij
- (kvacit) sometimes
- janā
- (janāḥ) people
- mārdava
- with gentleness
- sundarēṣu
- in places lovely
- kvacit
- sometimes
- kaṭhōrēṣu
- in harsh ones
- ca
- and
- sañcaranti
- move
- dēśa
- lands
- antarālēṣu
- between
- nirantarēṣu
- continuous
- vana
- of forest
- anta
- the stretches
- khaṇḍēṣu
- in the parts
- iva
- like
- kṛṣṇasārāḥ
- the black antelopes
Meaning
The antelope wanders, now in soft grassland, now in rough country. People move the same way, the commentary says, now in a mind full of kindness and learning, now in one full of anger and greed. The image is not harsh: it describes the ordinary alternation of good and bad moods. The reader may watch their own wandering, and choose the softer ground.