घनरात्रितयाऽल्पाल्पमहानिद्राजनाकुलम् । धूपचन्दनकर्पूरकुङ्कुमामोदमन्थरम् ॥ ३ ॥
ghanarātritayā’lpālpamahānidrājanākulam | dhūpacandanakarpūrakuṅkumāmōdamantharam || 3 ||
Translation
the people in it overcome by deep sleep, a little at a time, because the night had grown so long; the air heavy with the scent of incense, sandal, camphor and saffron.
Word by word
- ghana
- deep
- rātritayā
- because the night had grown
- alpālpa
- a little at a time
- mahā
- great
- nidrā
- by sleep
- jana
- with people
- ākulam
- overcome
- dhūpa
- incense
- candana
- sandal
- karpūra
- camphor
- kuṅkuma
- and saffron
- āmōda
- with the scent
- mantharam
- heavy
Meaning
The night of mourning seems endless, and the attendants drop off one by one, now dozing, now waking. The first commentary: the night was long for grief, and the people in it slept a little and then deeply. The heavy scents are the scents of a death chamber kept with royal care. Everything here is as Līlā left it: very little time has passed in this world, however long the journey seemed.