श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच । नाऽसमन्वितवागस्मि शृणु राघव कथ्यते । यथेदमसदाभाति वन्ध्यापुत्र इवाऽऽरवी ॥ ७५ ॥
śrīvasiṣṭha uvāca | nā’samanvitavāgasmi śṛṇu rāghava kathyatē | yathēdamasadābhāti vandhyāputra ivā’’ravī || 75 ||
Translation
Vasiṣṭha said: "I do not speak words that do not hold together. Listen, Rāghava; I shall tell how this unreal thing appears, like a barren woman's son who cries out.
Word by word
- na
- not
- asamanvita
- that do not hold together
- vāg
- (vāk) words
- asmi
- I do speak
- śṛṇu
- listen
- rāghava
- Rāghava
- kathyatē
- I shall tell
- yathā
- how
- idam
- this
- asad
- (asat) unreal thing
- ābhāti
- appears
- vandhyā
- of a barren woman
- putra
- son
- iva
- like
- āravī
- who cries out
Meaning
Vasiṣṭha takes Rāma's images and turns one back: the world is indeed like a barren woman's son, and yet it cries out, it appears and makes itself heard. The question is not whether it appears, but what it is. The commentary: my words are not without consistency, from first to last.