संसारहारमरतिः कालव्यालविभूषणम् । त्रोटयाम्यहमक्रूरं वागुरामिव केसरी ॥ २० ॥
saṁsārahāramaratiḥ kālavyālavibhūṣaṇam | trōṭayāmyahamakrūraṁ vāgurāmiva kēsarī || 20 ||
Translation
this necklace of the world, an ornament for Time the rake, I, who find no delight in it, will snap without violence, as a lion a net.
Word by word
- saṁsāra
- of the world
- hāram
- this necklace
- aratiḥ
- who find no delight in it
- kāla
- for Time
- vyāla
- the rake
- vibhūṣaṇam
- an ornament
- trōṭayāmi
- will snap
- aham
- I
- akrūraṁ
- without violence
- vāgurām
- a net
- iva
- as
- kēsarī
- a lion
Meaning
Rāma resolves to break it. The necklace is worn by Time (kāla), here called a vyāla, a word for a rogue as well as a serpent: Time adorns itself with the world and its beings. The commentary takes it as Time the libertine. Rāma, free of delight (arati) in the world, will break it as a lion breaks a hunter's net, but without cruelty (akrūram): the commentary says not by anger, violence or harsh means, but by the knowledge that comes from your teaching. That is an important qualification. The way out of the world is not to fight it or hate it; a net is broken by strength, and the strength here is understanding. The reader who has tried to break a bond by force and found it tightening may take the verse's hint: see through it, and it gives.