चित्रसर्पः परिज्ञातो न सर्पभयदो यथा । दृश्यसर्पः परिज्ञातस्तथा न सुखदुःखदः ॥ ४० ॥
citrasarpaḥ parijñātō na sarpabhayadō yathā | dṛśyasarpaḥ parijñātastathā na sukhaduḥkhadaḥ || 40 ||
Translation
As a painted snake, once known for what it is, gives no fear of a snake, so the snake of the visible world, once known, gives neither joy nor sorrow.
Word by word
- citra
- a painted
- sarpaḥ
- snake; the snake
- parijñātō
- (parijñātaḥ) once known
- na
- no
- sarpa
- of a snake
- bhayadō
- (bhayadaḥ) gives fear
- yathā
- as
- dṛśya
- of the visible world
- parijñātas
- (parijñātaḥ) once known
- tathā
- so
- sukha
- joy
- duḥkhadaḥ
- gives sorrow
Meaning
The painted snake looks exactly like a snake and frightens no one who knows it is paint. The world is called the snake of the seen. Knowing it does not change its look. It changes its power to please and to hurt.