स्वदन्ते तावदेवैते भावा जगति धीमते । यावत्स्मृतिपथं याति न विनाशकुराक्षसः ॥ २४ ॥
svadantē tāvadēvaitē bhāvā jagati dhīmatē | yāvatsmṛtipathaṁ yāti na vināśakurākṣasaḥ || 24 ||
Translation
These things taste sweet to a thoughtful man in the world only so long as the wicked demon, destruction, does not come into his memory.
Word by word
- svadantē
- taste sweet
- tāvad
- (tāvat) only so long
- ēva
- just
- ētē
- these
- bhāvā
- (bhāvāḥ) things
- jagati
- in the world
- dhīmatē
- to a thoughtful man
- yāvat
- as
- smṛti
- into his memory
- pathaṁ
- the path
- yāti
- come
- na
- not
- vināśa
- destruction
- ku
- wicked
- rākṣasaḥ
- the demon
Meaning
Pleasures are sweet only while one forgets that they end. The moment destruction, the "wicked demon", comes to mind, the sweetness goes. The commentary keeps it simple. The verse gives the reader a practice: to remember, in the midst of pleasure, that it will pass; not to spoil it, but to be free of it.