श्रीराम उवाच । प्राक्तनं वासनाजालं नियोजयति मां यथा । मुने तथैव तिष्ठामि कृपणः किं करोम्यहम् ॥ २३ ॥
śrīrāma uvāca | prāktanaṁ vāsanājālaṁ niyōjayati māṁ yathā | munē tathaiva tiṣṭhāmi kṛpaṇaḥ kiṁ karōmyaham || 23 ||
Translation
Śrī Rāma said: As the net of old tendencies directs me, sage, so I stand, helpless. What can I do?
Word by word
- śrīrāma
- Śrī Rāma
- uvāca
- said
- prāktanaṁ
- old
- vāsanā
- of tendencies
- jālaṁ
- the net
- niyōjayati
- directs
- māṁ
- me
- yathā
- as
- munē
- sage
- tathā
- so
- ēva
- indeed
- tiṣṭhāmi
- I stand
- kṛpaṇaḥ
- helpless
- kiṁ
- what
- karōmy
- (karomi) can do
- aham
- I
Meaning
This is perhaps the most human verse in the whole discussion. Rāma accepts all of it, and it makes his case worse. If I am my tendencies, then I am what they make me. Kṛpaṇa means wretched, helpless. The commentary: the tendencies make me dance as they please. Everyone who has tried to change a habit knows this cry. One knows just what one should do, and watches oneself do the other thing. Note the word "net" (jāla). It is many fine threads. It is not a wall. Vasiṣṭha's reply will use exactly this.