प्रत्यनीकं भिनत्त्यन्तः कुठारैः कठिनैरियम् । सेना ग्राम्येव वनिता दयितं दृष्टिचेष्टितैः ॥ १० ॥
pratyanīkaṁ bhinattyantaḥ kuṭhāraiḥ kaṭhinairiyam | sēnā grāmyēva vanitā dayitaṁ dṛṣṭicēṣṭitaiḥ || 10 ||
Translation
"This army splits the enemy's ranks within with hard axes, as a village woman splits her lover's heart with her glances and gestures."
Word by word
- pratyanīkaṁ
- the enemy's ranks
- bhinattya
- (bhinatti) splits
- antaḥ
- within
- kuṭhāraiḥ
- with axes
- kaṭhinair
- (kaṭhinaiḥ) hard
- iyam
- this
- sēnā
- army
- grāmyā
- a village
- iva
- as
- vanitā
- woman
- dayitaṁ
- her lover
- dṛṣṭi
- with glances
- cēṣṭitaiḥ
- and gestures
Meaning
A playful, rustic comparison from a watcher. The axes cut into the enemy as a country girl's looks cut into the heart of the man who loves her. Another commentary has it as a city woman.