अनाप्तोत्तमसन्तोषधैर्योत्सङ्गाकुला मतिः । शून्यास्पदा बिभेतीह बालेवाऽल्पबलेश्वरा ॥ ३ ॥
anāptōttamasantōṣadhairyōtsaṅgākulā matiḥ | śūnyāspadā bibhētīha bālēvā’lpabalēśvarā || 3 ||
Translation
My mind, not having reached the lap of highest contentment and steadiness, is troubled; with no ground beneath it, it is afraid here, like a young woman whose husband is weak.
Word by word
- anāpta
- not having reached
- uttama
- highest
- santōṣa
- of contentment
- dhairya
- and steadiness
- utsaṅga
- the lap
- ākulā
- is troubled
- matiḥ
- my mind
- śūnya
- no
- āspadā
- with ground
- bibhēti
- it is afraid
- iha
- here
- bālā
- a young woman
- iva
- like
- alpa
- weak
- bala
- in strength
- īśvarā
- whose husband is
Meaning
The commentary draws the picture: a young wife in a lonely forest, whose husband is too feeble to protect her, is afraid at every step. So is Rāma's mind in the world. It has not found the lap (utsaṅga), as of a mother, of true contentment (santoṣa) and steadiness (dhairya), and so it is anxious (ākulā). Its place is empty (śūnyāspadā): the old supports are gone and nothing has taken their place. The verse says what the mind is looking for: not more pleasure but a lap, somewhere to rest and be safe. The reader may ask where their own mind goes for safety, and whether that protector is strong enough.