गन्धर्वनगरप्रख्यमर्थशून्योपलम्भनात् । द्विचन्द्रविभ्रमाभासं मृगतृष्णाम्बुवर्तनम् ॥ १९ ॥
gandharvanagaraprakhyamarthaśūnyōpalambhanāt | dvicandravibhramābhāsaṁ mṛgatṛṣṇāmbuvartanam || 19 ||
Translation
like a city of the gandharvas, since it is met with no substance, like the illusion of two moons, like water moving in a mirage,
Word by word
- gandharva
- of the gandharvas
- nagara
- a city
- prakhyam
- like
- artha
- substance
- śūnya
- with no
- upalambhanāt
- since it is met
- dvi
- two
- candra
- moons
- vibhrama
- the illusion
- ābhāsaṁ
- like
- mṛgatṛṣṇā
- in a mirage
- ambu
- water
- vartanam
- moving
Meaning
Three classic examples of appearance without reality: the cloud-city of the gandharvas, the second moon seen when the eye is pressed, the water of a mirage. Each is truly seen, and nothing is there. The reason is given: it is met with, but with no object behind it.