nemi-cihnita-lakShaNe
nirmimiidhvaM puraM yuuyaM
mayi yaate triviShTapaM
= = = = - = = =
= - = - - = - =
= - = = - = = =
- - = = - = - =
1.33
"Within this sprinkled line of drops,
Wherein your wheels have left a mark,
You are to build a city,
When I am gone to heaven."
COMMENT:
In this verse as I read it the sage, redeemed by his benevolence for the young princes, is fully aware of the truth of the impermanence of things.
That being so, asmin dhaaraa-parikShipte, "within this sprinkled line of drops," means "while you are briefly on this mortal coil."
And mayi yaate triviShTapam, "when I am gone to heaven," means in other words "when I have shuttled off this mortal coil."
If a sprinkled line of drops represents time as a fleeting series of moments, what kind of lasting mark do any of us leave in it -- even if we build a glorious city?
It is but a few thousand years since Kapilavastu was founded, barely a twinkle in the history of planet Earth, but what is left now of those once mighty fortifications?
EH Johnston:
'When I depart to Heaven, do yet build a town on this land, round which I have sprinkled water and which is defined by the track of your wheels.'
Linda Covill:
"When I have gone to heaven, build a city here, within this sprinkled boundary, where your wheels have stamped a groove."
VOCABULARY:
asmin (loc. sg.): this
dhaaraa-parikShipte (loc. sg.): sprinkled line of water drops
dhaaraa: f. stream or current of water; flood , gush , jet , drop (of any liquid) , shower
parikShipta: mfn. thrown , thrown about , scattered , sprinkled
nemi-cihnita-lakShaNe (loc. sg.)
nemi: f. ( √ nam, to bend) the felly of a wheel, any circumference or edge or rim ; the foundation of a wall
cihnita: mfn. marked , stamped
lakShaNa: n. a mark , sign , symbol , token , characteristic , attribute , quality (ifc. = " marked or characterized by " , " possessed of "); n. a stroke , line (esp. those drawn on the sacrificial ground) ; n. a lucky mark , favourable sign
nirmimiidhvam = 2nd pers. pl. imperative nir- √ maa: to mete out , measure ; to build , make out of (abl.) , form , fabricate , produce , create
puram (acc. sg.): n. a fortress , castle , city , town
yuuyam (nom. pl.): you
mayi (loc. sg.): I
yaate (loc. sg.): mfn. gone , proceeded , marched ; gone away , fled , escaped ; passed by , elapsed ; entered upon , pursued (as a path) ; gone to , come or fallen into (acc. loc. , or comp.) ; situated (as a heavenly body) ; become
triviShTapam (acc. sg.): n. (= tri-piShTapa) indra's heaven, the sky
tri: three
vi-ShTap: f. top , summit , surface , highest part , height (esp. of heaven)
2 comments:
Would you like to go to India?
Anywhere without noisy tossers with nothing better to do than create noise pollution by flying around all day in light aircraft, would do me....
When I'm sitting outside in France with my right ear to the forest stream and birds singing their final songs of the evening, there is nowhere else I'd rather be.
By the way, since Nigel Farage was standing in my constituency and sent me a leaflet appealing for my vote on the basis of "individual rights," I wrote him an email asking him whose rights he wanted to protect -- the rights of the individuals above to fly vainly around in light aircraft creating noise pollution, or the rights of the individuals below to enjoy a bit of peace and quiet.
NF didn't reply to my email, but i suppose he showed his answer in his actions on election day...
Post a Comment