रात्रिर्द्वादशवर्षाणि हरिश्चन्द्रे तथा ह्यभूत् । कान्ताविरहिणामेकं वासरं वत्सरायते ॥ ५१ ॥
rātrirdvādaśavarṣāṇi hariścandrē tathā hyabhūt | kāntāvirahiṇāmēkaṁ vāsaraṁ vatsarāyatē || 51 ||
Translation
So for Hariścandra one night was twelve years; and for those parted from their beloved, one day becomes a year.
Word by word
- rātrir
- (rātriḥ) night
- dvādaśa
- twelve
- varṣāṇi
- years
- hariścandrē
- for Hariścandra
- tathā
- so
- hi
- indeed
- abhūt
- was
- kāntā
- from their beloved
- virahiṇām
- for those parted
- ēkaṁ
- one
- vāsaraṁ
- day
- vatsarāyatē
- becomes a year
Meaning
The commentary: King Hariścandra felt twelve years in one night; and to those separated from a loved one a single day seems a year. Both examples are drawn from everyday sorrow: time stretches with the mind.