क्षणमानन्दितामेति क्षणमेति विषादिताम् । क्षणं सौम्यत्वमायाति सर्वस्मिन्नटवन्मनः ॥ ३८ ॥
kṣaṇamānanditāmēti kṣaṇamēti viṣāditām | kṣaṇaṁ saumyatvamāyāti sarvasminnaṭavanmanaḥ || 38 ||
Translation
In a moment the mind is joyful, in a moment sorrowful, in a moment it grows gentle: in everything it is like an actor.
Word by word
- kṣaṇam
- in a moment
- ānanditām
- joyful
- ēti
- is
- viṣāditām
- sorrowful
- kṣaṇaṁ
- in a moment
- saumyatvam
- gentle
- āyāti
- it grows
- sarvasmin
- in everything
- naṭavan
- (naṭavat) like an actor
- manaḥ
- the mind
Meaning
The mind plays every part, joy, grief, gentleness, anger, as an actor does on a stage, the commentary says. And so it cannot be relied on either. The reader who watches their moods may see the actor, and begin to ask who is watching.