तव बाल महावीर मतिर्विरतिमागता । भोगेभ्यो दीर्घरोगेभ्यः किमन्यच्छ्रोतुमिच्छसि ॥ ३८ ॥
tava bāla mahāvīra matirviratimāgatā | bhōgēbhyō dīrgharōgēbhyaḥ kimanyacchrōtumicchasi || 38 ||
Translation
Child and hero both, your mind has turned away from pleasures, which are long diseases. What else do you wish to hear?
Word by word
- tava
- your
- bāla
- child
- mahāvīra
- great hero
- matir
- (matiḥ) mind
- viratim
- turning away
- āgatā
- has come to
- bhōgēbhyō
- (bhogebhyaḥ) from pleasures
- dīrgha
- long
- rōgēbhyaḥ
- diseases
- kim
- what
- anyac
- (anyat) else
- chrōtum
- (śrotum) to hear
- icchasi
- do you wish
Meaning
Janaka calls Śuka "child" (bāla) and "great hero" (mahāvīra) in one breath. The commentary: though young, he is a hero in renouncing the objects of the senses. Pleasures are "long diseases" (dīrgha-roga): they do not kill at once, they wear one down over a lifetime. Śuka's mind has turned from them. Then Janaka turns Śuka's own question back on him: "What else do you wish to hear?" (kim anyat śrotum icchasi). The commentary: what you were anxious to learn I have told you; what more is there to hear? The question is meant to stop the search. When nothing more is to be heard, hearing has done its work.