ब्रह्मात्मैकचिदाकाशमात्रबोधवतो मुनेः । पुत्रमित्रकलत्राणि कथं कानि कदा कुतः ॥ ५४ ॥
brahmātmaikacidākāśamātrabōdhavatō munēḥ | putramitrakalatrāṇi kathaṁ kāni kadā kutaḥ || 54 ||
Translation
For a sage who knows only the one space of awareness that is Brahman and the Self, how, what, when and whence are sons, friends and wives?
Word by word
- brahma
- that is Brahman
- ātma
- and the Self
- ēka
- the one
- cidākāśa
- space of awareness
- mātra
- only
- bōdhavatō
- (bodhavataḥ) who knows
- munēḥ
- for a sage
- putra
- sons
- mitra
- friends
- kalatrāṇi
- and wives
- kathaṁ
- how
- kāni
- what
- kadā
- when
- kutaḥ
- whence
Meaning
The answer to Rāma. Līlā did not show herself as mother because, for her, there was no son to be a mother to. Not coldness: for one who sees only Brahman, the relation of mother and son has no ground to stand on.