वरं कर्दमभेकत्वं मलकीटकता वरम् । वरमन्धगुहाहित्वं न नरस्याऽविचारिता ॥ ४६ ॥
varaṁ kardamabhēkatvaṁ malakīṭakatā varam | varamandhaguhāhitvaṁ na narasyā’vicāritā || 46 ||
Translation
Better to be a frog in the mud, better a worm in filth, better a snake in a dark cave, than for a man to be without inquiry.
Word by word
- varaṁ
- better
- kardama
- in the mud
- bhēkatvaṁ
- to be a frog
- mala
- in filth
- kīṭakatā
- to be a worm
- varam
- better
- andha
- in a dark
- guhā
- cave
- ahitvaṁ
- to be a snake
- na
- not
- narasya
- for a man
- avicāritā
- to be without inquiry
Meaning
The three are low and narrow lives, and each is still said to be better. The frog, the worm and the snake are only what they were born to be. A human being who does not inquire leaves unused the very capacity that sets a human life apart.