क्षयित्वात् सर्वभावानां स्वर्गमानुष्ययोर्द्वयोः । सुखं नाऽस्त्येव सलिलं मृगतृष्णास्विवैतयोः ॥ ४४ ॥
kṣayitvāt sarvabhāvānāṁ svargamānuṣyayōrdvayōḥ | sukhaṁ nā’styēva salilaṁ mṛgatṛṣṇāsvivaitayōḥ || 44 ||
Translation
Because all things pass away, in both heaven and the human world, there is no happiness at all, as there is no water in mirages.
Word by word
- kṣayitvāt
- because ... pass away
- sarva
- all
- bhāvānāṁ
- things
- svarga
- in heaven
- mānuṣyayōr
- (mānuṣyayoḥ) and the human world
- dvayōḥ
- both
- sukhaṁ
- happiness
- na
- no
- asti
- there is
- ēva
- at all
- salilaṁ
- water
- mṛgatṛṣṇāsu
- in mirages
- iva
- as
- ētayōḥ
- in these
Meaning
An extreme statement, and the reason is given first: kṣayitvāt, because of perishing. If a thing can end, what it gives is not the happiness being sought. The mirage is the right image, since the shimmer is really seen. It is the water that is not there. So the verse does not deny the experience. It denies that what one was running towards was ever there. Heaven is included deliberately, so no one supposes that merit will buy a way out.