SAUNDARANANDA 5.42: ... and Death

praNiiyamaanash ca yathaa vadhaaya
matto hasec ca pralapec ca vadhyaH
mRtyau tathaa tiShThati paasha-haste
shocyaH pramaadyan vipariita-cetaaH

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5.42
And like the condemned man being led,

Drunkenly laughing and babbling, to the stake,

Equally lamentable is one who frolics perversely

While Death stands by, with noose in hand.

COMMENT:
This verse reminds me of Marjory Barlow's words in relation to Alexander work: "It is the most serious thing in the world, this work, but you mustn't take it seriously."

Equally: One mustn't take it seriously, this life and death struggle to get free of the influence of faulty views, feelings, and habits... but it is the most serious thing in the world.


EH Johnston:
That man must be deplored who, though Death stands over him with the fatal net, yet remains heedless and perverse in mind, like a man sentenced to death who is drunk and laughs and babbles on the way to the stake.

Linda Covill:
It is dreadful that a convicted man being led out for execution should be drunk, laughing and babbling; so too is it dreadful that a man should be careless and contrary-minded while Death stands by with a noose in his hand.

VOCABULARY:
praNiiyamaanaH = nom. sg. m. passive pres. part. praNii: to lead forwards , conduct
ca: and
yathaa: ind. just as
vadhaaya = dat. sg. vadha: m. one who kills , a slayer , vanquisher , destroyer; the act of striking or killing , slaughter ; (in law) capital or (more commonly) corporal punishment = vadha-bhuumi , place of execution

mattaH (nom. sg. m.): mfn. excited with joy , overjoyed , delighted , drunk , intoxicated (lit. and fig.)
haset = 3rd pers. sg. optative has: to laugh , smile
ca: and
pralapet = 3rd pers. sg. optative pra- √ lap : to speak forth (inconsiderately or at random) , prattle , talk idly or incoherently , trifle
ca: and
vadhyaH (nom. sg. m.): mfn. to be slain or killed , to be capitally punished , sentenced , a criminal

mRtyau (loc. absolute): death
tathaa: ind. so too, likewise
tiShThati = 3rd pers. sg. sthaa: to stand
paasha-haste (loc. absolute): noose in hand
paasha: m. a snare , trap , noose (esp.) the noose as attribute of shiva or yama
hasta: hand

shocyaH (nom. sg. m.): mfn. to be lamented (n. impers.) , deplorable , miserable
pramaadyan = nom. sg. m. pres. part. pra- √ mad: to enjoy one's self , be joyous , sport , play ; to be careless or negligent , to be indifferent to or heedless about (abl. or loc.) ; to neglect duty for , idle away time in (loc.)
vipariita-cetaaH (nom. sg. m.): being perverse in mind
vipariita: mfn. turned round , reversed , inverted ; being the reverse of anything , acting in a contrary manner ; perverse , wrong , contrary to rule ;
cetas: n. consciousness , intelligence , thinking soul , heart , mind