मत्त ऐरावतो बद्धः सर्षपस्येव कोटरे । मशकेन कृतं युद्धं सिंहौघैरणुकोटरे ॥ ९ ॥
matta airāvatō baddhaḥ sarṣapasyēva kōṭarē | maśakēna kṛtaṁ yuddhaṁ siṁhaughairaṇukōṭarē || 9 ||
Translation
A rutting Airāvata tied up in the hollow of a mustard seed! A battle fought by a mosquito with herds of lions in the hollow of an atom!
Word by word
- matta
- a rutting
- airāvatō
- (airāvataḥ) Airāvata
- baddhaḥ
- tied up
- sarṣapasya
- of a mustard seed
- iva
- as
- kōṭarē
- in the hollow
- maśakēna
- by a mosquito
- kṛtaṁ
- fought
- yuddhaṁ
- a battle
- siṁha
- of lions
- ōghair
- (oghaiḥ) with herds
- aṇu
- of an atom
Meaning
The commentary: an elephant like Airāvata tied in a snake-charmer's basket, a mosquito fighting lions inside an atom: such things are impossible. Līlā piles up absurdities to say how her husband's world seems to her.