Skip to content
Chapter 24 — The Ravages of Time
1. श्रीराम उवाच ।
अस्योड्डामरलीलस्य दूरास्तसकलापदः ।
संसारे राजपुत्रस्य कालस्याकलितौजसः ॥ १ ॥
Sri Rama continued:
Time is a self-willed sportsman as a prince, who is inaccessible to dangers and whose powers are unlimited.
2. अस्यैवाचरतो दीनैर्मुग्धैर्भूतमृगब्रजैः ।
आखेटकं जर्जरिते जगज्जङ्गलजालके ॥ २ ॥
This world is as it were a forest and sporting ground of time, wherein the poor deluded worldlings are caught in his snare like bodies of wounded stags.
3. एकदेशोल्लसच्चारुवडवानलपङ्कजा ।
क्रीडापुष्करिणी रम्या कल्पकालमहार्णवः ॥ ३ ॥
The ocean of universal deluge is a pleasure-pond of time, and the submarine fires bursting therein as lotus flowers (serve to beautify that dismal scene).
4. कटुतिक्ताम्लभूताद्यैः सदधिक्षीरसागरैः ।
तैरेव तैः पर्युषितैर्जगद्भिः कल्ववर्तनम् ॥ ४ ॥
Time makes his breakfast of this vapid and stale earth, flavoured with the milk and curd of the seas of those names.
5. चण्डी चतुरसंचारा सर्वमातृगणान्विता ।
संसारवनविन्यस्ता व्याघ्री भूतौघघातिनी ॥ ५ ॥
His wife Chandi with her train of Matris, ranges all about this wide world as a ferocious tigress (with horrid devastation).
6. ज्ञध्वी करतले ज्ञथ्वी पानपात्री रसान्विता ।
कमलोत्पलकह्लारलोलजालकमालिता ॥ ६ ॥
The earth with her waters is like a bowl of wine in the hand of time, dressed and flavoured with all sorts of lilies and lotuses.
7. विरावी विकटास्फोटो नृसिंहो भुजपञ्जरे ।
सटाविकटपीनांसः कृतः क्रीडाशकुन्तकः ॥ ७ ॥
The lion with his huge body and startling mane, his loud roaring and tremendous groans, seems as a caged bird of sport in the hand of time.
8. अलाबुवीणामधुरः शरद्व्योमलसच्छविः ।
देवः किल महाकालो लीलाकोकिलबालकः ॥ ८ ॥
The Mahakala like a playful young Kokila (cuckoo), appears in the figure of the blue autumnal sky, and warbling as sweet as the notes of a lute of gourd (in the music of the spheres).
9. अजस्रस्फूर्जिताकारो वान्तदुःखशरावलिः ।
अभावनामकोदण्डः परिस्फुरति सर्वतः ॥ ९ ॥
The restless bow of death is found flinging its woeful arrows (darts of death) with ceaseless thunder claps on all sides.
10. अनुत्तमस्त्वधिकविलासपण्डितो भ्रमच्चलन्परिविलसन्विदारयन् ।
जरज्जगज्जनितविलोलमर्कटः परिस्फुरद्वपुरिह काल ईहते ॥ १० ॥
This world is like a forest, wherein sorrows are ranging about as playful apes, and time like a sportive prince in this forest, is now roving, now walking, now playing and now killing his game.
Want to print your doc?
This is not the way.
This is not the way.
Try clicking the ··· in the right corner or using a keyboard shortcut (
CtrlP
) instead.