मरणव्यग्रचित्ताभं शिलागृहगुहास्पदम् । अन्धकारगुहैकैकनृत्तमुन्मत्तचेष्टितम् ॥ २६ ॥
maraṇavyagracittābhaṁ śilāgṛhaguhāspadam | andhakāraguhaikaikanṛttamunmattacēṣṭitam || 26 ||
Translation
like the mind of one distracted at death, a dwelling in rock-houses and caves, like a lone dance in a dark cave, like the doings of a madman;
Word by word
- maraṇa
- at death
- vyagra
- distracted
- citta
- the mind
- ābhaṁ
- like
- śilā
- in rock
- gṛha
- houses
- guhā
- and caves; cave
- āspadam
- a dwelling
- andhakāra
- in a dark
- ēkaika
- a lone
- nṛttam
- dance
- unmatta
- of a madman
- cēṣṭitam
- like the doings
Meaning
The commentary explains the first image from common knowledge: at death the mind is confused, faint and unsteady. The caves are dark, empty and frightening. A dance in a dark cave has no one to see it, and a madman's acts have no sense behind them. The world taken as real has that quality: much movement, no meaning, no witness to make it matter.