अपि बालाङ्गनासंगादपि साधो सुधारसात् । राज्यादपि सुखायैव पुत्रस्नेहो महामते ॥ १४ ॥
api bālāṅganāsaṁgādapi sādhō sudhārasāt | rājyādapi sukhāyaiva putrasnēhō mahāmatē || 14 ||
Translation
"More than the company of a young woman, good sir, more than the taste of nectar, more even than a kingdom, the love of a son brings joy, great-minded one.
Word by word
- api
- even
- bāla
- young
- aṅganā
- of a woman
- saṁgāt
- than the company
- sādhō
- good sir
- sudhā
- of nectar
- rasāt
- than the taste
- rājyāt
- than a kingdom
- sukhāya
- brings joy
- ēva
- indeed
- putra
- of a son
- snēhō
- (snehaḥ) the love
- mahāmatē
- great-minded one
Meaning
From here the king speaks of the love of a son in general, as if to excuse himself.