⏑−⏑−¦−⏑⏑¦−⏑−−¦¦−−⏑−¦−⏑⏑¦−⏑−− Upajāti
(Kīrti)
paras-parotpīḍana-piṇḍitānāṁ
saṁmarda-saṁkṣobhita-kuṇḍalānām |
−−⏑−¦−⏑⏑¦−⏑−−¦¦−−⏑−¦−⏑⏑¦−⏑−−
tāsāṁ tadā sasvana-bhūṣaṇānāṁ
vātāyaneṣv-apraśamo babhūva || 3.18
3.18
At the windows at that time,
women pressed up
against each other in squashed masses,
Their earrings colliding and
ricocheting,
Their jewellery rattling,
So that in each airy aperture there was
a commotion.
COMMENT:
One symptom of barging about is noisy
breathing, whether through gasping mouth or through nasal passages
restricted by mucus or muscular tension.
Thus, in the 4th pada, while the
ostensible meaning of vātāyaneṣu is “in the windows” (EBC/EHJ) or “in those
balconies” (PO), the suggested meaning of vātāyaneṣu (from vāta, wind/air + āyana, passing) is “in the nostrils.”
In pondering how to translate
vātāyaneṣu so as to preserve some of this ambiguity, I looked up
“ventilate” and one of the definitions the dictionary gave was:
to provide an enclosed space with a vent or other means of letting
fresh air in and stale air out.
While sitting afterwards it struck me
that “letting fresh air in and stale air out” is not a bad
definition of sitting practice – except that, in the interest of
there being no commotion, I would prefer to express it the other way
round as “letting stale air out and letting fresh air in.”
The contrast between the individual
practitioner described in yesterday's verse, and the squashed masses described in today's verse, stimulates me to express an opinion about
individual practice vs sectarian saṁgha groupthink. But on
reflection such expression of an opinion might be a kind of making a
commotion.
Yes, we can understand, in a spirit of
total self-acceptance, that even on a royal road, sometimes the airy
aperturers are characterized by commotion. But the real implicit
point of today's verse, as I read it, is to encourage us to practice
using the self in such a royal way that no commotion is created in
any airy aperture – even if it is only for the duration of one
out-breath and one in-breath.
For me, for one, that is what today's
verse has been encouraging me to practise for the last 24 hours, on
and off.
VOCABULARY
paras-parotpīḍana-piṇḍitānām
(gen. pl. f.): squashed into masses from pressing up against each
other
paras-para: mfn. mutual , each other's
utpīḍana: n. the act of pressing
against or out
ut- √ pīḍ: to press upwards or
against , squeeze ; to press out
piṇḍita: mfn. rolled into a ball or
lump , thick , massy , densified ; mixed , mingled with (comp.);
heaped , collected , united , added
saṁmarda-saṁkṣobhita-kuṇḍalānām
(gen. pl. f.): their earrings being pressed together and tossed about
sammarda: m. pressing or rubbing
together , friction , pressure
sam- √ mṛd : to press or squeeze
together , rub or grind to pieces , crush , destroy
√ mṛd: to press , squeeze , crush ,
pound , smash , trample down , tread upon , destroy , waste , ravage
, kill , slay ; to rub , stroke , wipe (e.g. the forehead) ; to rub
into, mingle
saṁkṣobhita: mfn. (fr. Caus.)
shaken or tossed about
saṁ- √ kṣubh: Caus. -kṣobhayati
, to shake about violently , agitate , toss , excite
kuṇḍala: n. earring
tāsām (gen. pl. f.): of them, of
those women
tadā: ind. at that time , then , in
that case (often used redundantly
sasvana-bhūṣaṇānām (gen. pl.
f.): their ornaments rattling
sasvana: mfn. sounding, loud
bhūṣaṇa: n. embellishment ,
ornament , decoration
vātāyaneṣu (loc. pl.): n. "
wind-passage " , a window , air-hole , loop-hole; n. a balcony ,
portico , terrace on the roof of a house
vāta: m. wind or the wind-god ; wind,
air
āyana: n. coming , approaching
apraśamaḥ (nom. sg. m.): m. tumult,
uproar ; mfn. not reconciled, angry with (loc.),
praśama: m. calmness , tranquillity
(esp. of mind) , quiet , rest , cessation , extinction , abatement
babhūva = 3rd pers. sg.
perf. bhū: to be (with nom.)
No comments:
Post a Comment