विचारविकला यस्य मतिर्मान्द्यमुपेयुषः । तस्योदेत्यशनिश्चन्द्रान्मुधा यक्षः शिशोरिव ॥ १७ ॥
vicāravikalā yasya matirmāndyamupēyuṣaḥ | tasyōdētyaśaniścandrānmudhā yakṣaḥ śiśōriva || 17 ||
Translation
For one whose mind lacks inquiry and has fallen into dullness, a thunderbolt rises even from the moon, for nothing, as a goblin rises for a child.
Word by word
- vicāra
- inquiry
- vikalā
- lacks
- yasya
- whose
- matir
- (matiḥ) mind
- māndyam
- into dullness
- upēyuṣaḥ
- has fallen
- tasya
- for him
- udēti
- rises
- aśaniś
- (aśaniḥ) a thunderbolt
- candrān
- (candrāt) from the moon
- mudhā
- for nothing
- yakṣaḥ
- a goblin
- śiśōr
- (śiśoḥ) for a child
- iva
- as
Meaning
The commentary explains the moon: it is the deity of the mind, and the mind is meant to shine like it, with the cool joy that knowledge brings. For the dull mind even that source sends out a thunderbolt. The child's goblin shows how: nothing is there, and the fear is real. The same world that is calm to one who sees clearly becomes, to the mind without inquiry, a place of sudden blows.