तमःपङ्कसमालब्धं क्षणमाकाशमण्डलम् । क्षणं कनकनिष्यन्दकोमलालोकसुन्दरम् ॥ २७ ॥
tamaḥpaṅkasamālabdhaṁ kṣaṇamākāśamaṇḍalam | kṣaṇaṁ kanakaniṣyandakōmalālōkasundaram || 27 ||
Translation
For a moment the sphere of the sky is smeared with the mud of darkness; for a moment it is lovely with a soft light like flowing gold;
Word by word
- tamaḥ
- of darkness
- paṅka
- with the mud
- samālabdhaṁ
- is smeared
- kṣaṇam
- for a moment
- ākāśa
- of the sky
- maṇḍalam
- the sphere
- kṣaṇaṁ
- for a moment
- kanaka
- gold
- niṣyanda
- like flowing
- kōmala
- soft
- ālōka
- with a light
- sundaram
- lovely
Meaning
Verses 27 to 29 describe the sky as an example of change: dark as mud, then golden at dawn. The sky is the commentary's chosen illustration: it has no form of its own, yet takes on every appearance. So does the world.