Bhartruhari Sataka Trisati - Vairaagya Satakam - Malayalam

ഭര്തൃഹരി's വൈരാഗ്യ ശതകമ് is the third part of the ശതക-ത്രിശതി - verses that turn the mind from restless craving toward clarity and freedom. Here വൈരാഗ്യ is not bitterness; it is the sober strength to enjoy what is appropriate without being owned by it.

Many verses are intentionally sharp, even unsettling, because they are meant to break complacency. The poet repeatedly exposes how തൃഷ്ണാ (craving) disguises itself as "just one more" and keeps the mind running, and how വിവേക (discernment) begins when we see the cost of that running.

A helpful way to read these verses is to treat them as mirrors: when a line feels exaggerated, ask what habit it is trying to correct. When a line feels difficult, pause and examine what it is touching - fear, pride, status, pleasure, or the need for control. The commentary connects the verse to daily life and, when it naturally fits, to അദ്വൈത and to parallel insights found in thinkers like Schopenhauer and Jiddu Krishnamurthy.

ചൂഡോത്തംസിതചംദ്രചാരുകലികാചംചച്ഛിഖാഭാസ്വരോ
ലീലാദഗ്ധവിലോലകാമശലഭഃ ശ്രേയോദശാഗ്രേ സ്ഫുരന് ।
അംതഃസ്ഫൂര്ജദ്അപാരമോഹതിമിരപ്രാഗ്ഭാരം ഉച്ചാടയന്
ശ്വേതഃസദ്മനി യോഗിനാം വിജയതേ ജ്ഞാനപ്രദീപോ ഹരഃ ॥ 3.1 ॥

ഛംദഃ (ശാര്ദൂലവിക്രീഡിതമ്): This is in ശാര്ദൂലവിക്രീഡിതമ് (സമ-വൃത്ത) Chandas/Meter: 4 പാദാഃ, 19 അക്ഷരാഃ per പാദ; ലഘു/ഗുരു pattern (per പാദ) is `GGGLLGL GLLLG GGLGGLG`; യതി (pause) is after the 7th and 12th syllables in each പാദ.

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ചൂഡാ - crest; topknot
ഉത്തംസിത - adorned with; worn as an ornament
ചംദ്ര - moon
ചാരു - beautiful; charming
കലികാ - digit; crescent
ചംചത് - trembling; flickering; moving
ശിഖാ - crest/flame-like tuft
ഭാസ്വരഃ - shining; radiant
ചൂഡോത്തംസിതചംദ്രചാരുകലികാചംചച്ഛിഖാഭാസ്വരഃ - shining with the flickering crescent moon adorning his crest (compound)
ലീലാ - playfully; as a sportive act
ദഗ്ധ - burned
വിലോല - fluttering; restless
കാമ - desire (here: Cupid)
ശലഭഃ - moth
ലീലാദഗ്ധവിലോലകാമശലഭഃ - he who playfully burned the fluttering moth of Desire (compound)
ശ്രേയഃ - highest good; auspiciousness
ദശാ - state; stage
അഗ്രേ - at the summit/forefront
സ്ഫുരന് - shining; flashing forth
അംതഃ - within
സ്ഫുരത് - flashing; springing up (in verse: സ്ഫൂര്ജദ്)
അപാര - boundless
മോഹ - delusion
തിമിര - darkness
പ്രാഗ്ഭാരഃ - dense mass; heavy load
ഉച്ചാടയന് - uprooting; driving away
ശ്വേതഃ - white; pure
സദ്മന് - abode; dwelling
യോഗിനാം - of yogins
വിജയതേ - triumphs
ജ്ഞാന - knowledge
പ്രദീപഃ - lamp
ഹരഃ - Shiva

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
Shiva, the lamp of knowledge, triumphs in the pure abode of yogins: his crest shines with the flickering crescent moon; he playfully burned the fluttering moth of desire; and he uproots the dense darkness of boundless delusion that flares up within.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse presents ഹരഃ not merely as a deity "out there", but as the inner light of ജ്ഞാന (clear knowing). The crescent on the head suggests cool lucidity, the "moth of കാമ" suggests the restless mind that keeps flying toward glittering pleasures, and the "darkness of മോഹ" points to confusion that rises from within. The central claim is simple: when awareness is steady, craving loses its glamour and delusion loses its grip.

In lived experience, the same pattern appears when we chase "just one more" - one more achievement, one more purchase, one more approval - and still feel unfinished. Schopenhauer observed that desire keeps the will in perpetual dissatisfaction; Jiddu Krishnamurti likewise emphasizes that when desire is watched without indulgence or suppression, its compulsive momentum weakens. This verse invites that kind of seeing: not fighting desire, but illuminating it. The GItA frames this steadiness as സമത്വ (even-mindedness): action continues, but the inner demand for guaranteed outcomes is relaxed.

Practice: when a craving rises today, pause for one minute and feel the wanting directly in the body. Ask, "What do I think this will fix in me?" and let the answer be seen quietly. You can pair the pause with the Upanishadic prayer തമസോ മാ ജ്യോതിര്ഗമയ (lead me from darkness to light): let the moment of craving become a cue to return to clarity, then choose the next action deliberately.

ഭ്രാംതം ദേശം അനേകദുര്ഗവിഷമം പ്രാപ്തം ന കിംചിത്ഫലം
ത്യക്ത്വാ ജാതികുലാഭിമാനം ഉചിതം സേവാ കൃതാ നിഷ്ഫലാ ।
ഭുക്തം മാനവിവര്ജിതം പരഗൃഹേഷ്വാശംകയാ കാകവത്
തൃഷ്ണേ ജൃംഭസി പാപകര്മപിശുനേ നാദ്യാപി സംതുഷ്യസി ॥ 3.2 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ഭ്രാംതം - wandered; roamed
ദേശം - land; region
അനേക - many
ദുര്ഗ - difficult; hard to traverse
വിഷമം - uneven; harsh
അനേകദുര്ഗവിഷമം - many difficult and harsh (places)
പ്രാപ്തം - obtained; reached
ന കിംചിത്ഫലം - no fruit/result at all
ത്യക്ത്വാ - having abandoned
ജാതി - birth/caste
കുല - lineage
അഭിമാനഃ - pride
ജാതികുലാഭിമാനം - pride of birth and lineage
ഉചിതം - proper; fitting
സേവാ - service
കൃതാ - done
നിഷ്ഫലാ - fruitless
ഭുക്തം - eaten
മാന - honor; respect
വിവര്ജിതം - devoid of; lacking
മാനവിവര്ജിതം - without respect; without honor
പര - others'
ഗൃഹ - house
പരഗൃഹേഷു - in others' houses
ആശംകയാ - with suspicion/fear
കാകവത് - like a crow
തൃഷ്ണേ - O thirst/craving
ജൃംഭസി - you yawn; you keep opening wider
പാപ - sinful; harmful
കര്മ - action
പിശുനാ - informer; betrayer; one that "tells" (drives one into wrong acts)
പാപകര്മപിശുനേ - O betrayer that leads to sinful deeds (vocative)
നാദ്യാപി - not even now
സംതുഷ്യസി - are you satisfied?

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
I have wandered many harsh lands and gained no result; abandoned pride of birth and served appropriately yet fruitlessly; eaten in others' houses like a suspicious crow without honor - O craving, you keep yawning, betrayer that drives harmful deeds, and even now you are not satisfied.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
ഭര്തൃഹരി speaks to craving as if it were a living tyrant. Even after exhausting travel, social humiliation, and "doing the right things" outwardly, the inner demand remains unchanged. Calling it a betrayer of sinful actions is a precise psychological claim: when craving is intense, it quietly pushes people into compromises they later regret - dishonesty, flattery, boundary-violations, and self-abandonment. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

This is the hedonic treadmill: the target keeps moving. In contemporary life it shows up as overworking for status, constant comparison through feeds, or treating relationships as ladders. Schopenhauer's critique of desire fits closely here: if the inner hunger is unexamined, external wins cannot fill it; they only refresh the appetite. The verse invites വിവേക (discernment) - seeing the pattern clearly, without self-justification.

Practice: define "enough" in one domain this week (money, consumption, attention, achievement) and set a concrete boundary. Replace one habit of reaching with one act of contentment: finish work at a set time, spend an evening without scrolling, or eat simply. Keep watching the mind: satisfaction grows not by getting more, but by reducing the inner demand.

ഉത്ഖാതം നിധിശംകയാ ക്ഷിതിതലം ധ്മാതാ ഗിരേര്ധാതവോ
നിസ്തീര്ണഃ സരിതാം പതിര്നൃപതയോ യത്നേന സംതോഷിതാഃ ।
മംത്രാരാധനതത്പരേണ മനസാ നീതാഃ ശ്മശാനേ നിശാഃ
പ്രാപ്തഃ കാണവരാടകോഽപി ന മയാ തൃഷ്ണേ സകാമാ ഭവ ॥ 3.3 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ഉത്ഖാതം - dug up
നിധി - treasure
ശംകയാ - with suspicion/hope
ക്ഷിതി - earth
തലം - surface
ക്ഷിതിതലം - the surface of the earth
ധ്മാതാഃ - blown; smelted
ഗിരേഃ - of the mountain
ധാതവഃ - ores; metals
നിസ്തീര്ണഃ - crossed; passed over
സരിതാം - of rivers
പതിഃ - lord (here: the ocean)
നൃപതയാഃ - kings
യത്നേന - with effort
സംതോഷിതാഃ - satisfied; pleased
മംത്ര - mantra
ആരാധന - worship; propitiation
തത്പരഃ - intent on; devoted to
മനസാ - with the mind
നീതാഃ - spent; led through
ശ്മശാനേ - in the cremation ground
നിശാഃ - nights
പ്രാപ്തഃ - obtained
കാണവരാടകഃ - a paltry coin; a meagre gain (sandhi in verse: കാണവരാടകോഽപി = കാണവരാടകഃ + അപി)
അപി - even
ന - not
മയാ - by me
തൃഷ്ണേ - O thirst/craving
സ - with
കാമാ - desire; wanting
സകാമാ - still wanting; still desireful
ഭവ - be; remain

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
I dug the earth suspecting treasure, smelted mountain ores, crossed the ocean, and labored to please kings; with a mind devoted to mantra-worship I spent nights in cremation grounds - yet I did not obtain even a paltry coin. O craving, do not remain desireful.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse stacks up extreme efforts to show the range of craving: it can drive adventure, labor, ambition, and even "spiritual" austerity. Yet the reward shrinks into a mockery - a tiny coin after enormous cost. The deeper point is not about money; it is about misdirected energy: when the motive is hunger, the mind stays hungry, no matter what the outer activity looks like. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

In everyday life, this appears when people jump from one scheme to another: speculative bets, side hustles, networking for influence, even meditation treated as a life-hack for success. Krishnamurti repeatedly warns that the mind seeks psychological security through accumulation, but that security is not produced by possessions or by ritualized striving. The verse says: if തൃഷ്ണാ (craving) is the driver, the destination will not satisfy.

Practice: before starting a new pursuit, write down your real aim (service, learning, health, freedom) and ask whether the pursuit supports it or is just another chase. Simplify one area of life and reclaim time for what genuinely nourishes you. When the urge says "one more try", remember the cremation-ground image: time is finite; spend it on what actually frees the mind.

ഖലാലാപാഃ സൌഢാഃ കഥം അപി തദ്ആരാധനപരൈര്നിഗൃഹ്യാംതര്
ബാഷ്പം ഹസിതം അപി ശൂന്യേന മനസാ ।
കൃതോ വിത്തസ്തംഭപ്രതിഹതധിയാം അംജലിരപി
ത്വം ആശേ മോഘാശേ കിമ അപരം അതോ നര്തയസി മാമ് ॥ 3.4 ॥

ഛംദഃ (മാത്രാ-ചംദസ്): This is in a മാത്രാ-based Chandas/Meter (not a fixed അക്ഷര-count വൃത്ത): in this verse, the written segments carry approximately 30 + 17 + 19 + 25 മാത്രാഃ (total 91); treat ലഘു=1 മാത്രാ and ഗുരു=2 മാത്രാഃ, and keep the natural pauses at the segment ends marked by `।`/`॥` (do not confuse ദംഡ with internal യതി).

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ഖലാലാപഃ - foolish chatter; prattle (in verse: ഖലാലാപാഃ)
സൌഢഃ - palace; lofty mansion (in verse: സൌഢാഃ)
കഥം അപി - somehow; by some means
തദ് - that (verse join)
ആരാധന - worshiping/serving (here: serving the "palace" life)
പരൈഃ - by those engaged in it
നിഗൃഹ്യ - suppressing
അംതര് - within
ബാഷ്പം - tears
ഹസിതം - laughter; smile
അപി - even
ശൂന്യേന - with empty; hollow
മനസാ - mind
കൃതഃ - done; performed
വിത്ത - wealth
സ്തംഭഃ - arrogance; pride
പ്രതിഹത - blocked; impeded
ധിയഃ - minds (gen. pl.)
അംജലിഃ - salutation with folded hands
ത്വം - you
ആശേ - O hope/expectation
മോഘ - futile; vain
കിമ അപരം - what more (is there)?
അതഃ - then; therefore
നര്തയസി - you make (me) dance
മാം - me

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
In those noisy palaces, the ones who serve them somehow suppress inner tears, and even laughter is forced by an empty mind; even salutations are offered by minds blocked by the arrogance of wealth. O vain Hope, what more is there - why do you still make me dance?

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse is a candid portrait of life lived for status: noise, performance, and the inner cost of being "managed" by wealth and power. Tears are swallowed, laughter is staged, and even respectful gestures become transactions. Then the poet turns on ആശാ (hope/expectation): it keeps the person dancing - always waiting, chasing, pleasing, and postponing dignity for a promised payoff. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

This pattern is easy to recognize today: people-pleasing, status anxiety, and constant image-curation. Jiddu Krishnamurti calls this the trap of "becoming" - psychological time where the mind is always moving toward a future self and never resting in what is true now. The verse asks a hard question: what if you stop outsourcing your peace to external validation? This is the അനിത്യതാ (impermanence) reflection that Sa~gkarAcArya uses to awaken വൈരാഗ്യ: seeing change clearly, we stop demanding permanent comfort from it.

Practice: pick one arena where you over-perform for approval. For a week, do the necessary work but drop one extra performance: stop explaining yourself, stop checking for likes, stop rehearsing speeches. Use the freed attention for quiet study, a walk, or service. The mind learns that dignity does not need an audience.

അമീഷാം പ്രാണാനാം തുലിതവിസിനീപത്രപയസാം
കൃതേ കിം നാസ്മാഭിർവിഗലിതവിവേകൈർവ്യവസിതമ് ।
യദ്ആഢ്യാനാം അഗ്രേ ദ്രവിണമദനിഃസംജ്ഞമനസാം
കൃതം മാവവ്രീഡൈര്നിജഗുണകഥാപാതകം അപി ॥ 3.5 ॥

ഛംദഃ (ശിഖ്ഹരിനീ): This is in ശിഖ്ഹരിനീ (സമ-വൃത്ത) Chandas/Meter: 4 പാദാഃ, 17 അക്ഷരാഃ per പാദ; ലഘു/ഗുരു pattern (per പാദ) is `LGGGGG LLLLL GGLLLG`; യതി (pause) is after the 6th and 11th syllables in each പാദ.

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
അമീഷാം - of these
പ്രാണാനാം - lives; vital breaths
തുലിത - comparable to; like
വിസിനീ - lotus (in verse: വിസിനീ)
പത്ര - leaf
പയസ് - water
വിസിനീപത്രപയസാം - water (drops) on lotus leaves (image of fragility)
കൃതേ - for the sake of
കിമ് - what?
ന - not
അസ്മാഭിഃ - by us
വിഗലിത - slipped away; fallen
വിവേകഃ - discernment
വിഗലിതവിവേകൈഃ - with discernment fallen away
വ്യവസിതം - undertaken; decided; done
യദ് - because/that (verse join)
ആഢ്യാനാം - of the rich
അഗ്രേ - before; in front
ദ്രവിണ - wealth
മദഃ - intoxication; pride
ദ്രവിണമദ - pride/intoxication of wealth
അനിഃസംജ്ഞ - insensible; numb
മനസാം - of minds
മാ - without
അവ്രീഡൈഃ - without shame
നിജ - one's own
ഗുണ - virtues
കഥാ - talk; narration
പാതകം - sin; wrongdoing
നിജഗുണകഥാപാതകം - the "sin" of praising one's own virtues
അപി - even

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
For these fragile lives, like water on lotus leaves, what have we not done with discernment lost? For we, shameless, have even committed the "sin" of talking about our own virtues before the rich whose minds are numbed by the intoxication of wealth.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The image of water on a lotus leaf points to how precarious life is - one gust and it slides away. Yet, with വിവേക (discernment) weakened, people do many humiliating things to protect comfort and continuation. The poet then names an even subtler fall: in front of those intoxicated by wealth, we begin advertising ourselves, praising our own virtues, and bargaining for favor. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

In contemporary life, this is the pressure of self-branding: exaggerating achievements, flattering gatekeepers, bending principles to be accepted. Schopenhauer would call it the will's servitude: wherever it imagines satisfaction, it bows. The verse is a call to self-respect - do not sell inner truth for outer reward. The GItA frames this steadiness as സമത്വ (even-mindedness): action continues, but the inner demand for guaranteed outcomes is relaxed.

Practice: notice where you feel compelled to impress. Replace one act of boasting with one act of competence done quietly and well. If you must present yourself (interviews, proposals), keep it factual and restrained. Let your work speak, and let your mind remain free of the need to be "seen".

ക്ഷാംതം ന ക്ഷമയാ ഗൃഹോചിതസുഖം ത്യക്തം ന സംതോഷതഃ
സോഢോ ദുഃസഹശീതതാപപവനക്ലേശോ ന തപ്തം തപഃ ।
ധ്യാതം വിത്തം അഹര്നിശം നിത്യമിതപ്രാണൈര്ന ശംഭോഃ പദം
തത്തത്കര്മ കൃതം യദേവ മുനിഭിസ്തൈസ്തൈഃ ഫലൈർവംചിതാഃ ॥ 3.6 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ക്ഷാംതം - endured; borne
ന - not
ക്ഷമയാ - by forgiveness/patience
ഗൃഹ - householder life
ഉചിത - fitting; proper
സുഖം - comfort
ഗൃഹോചിതസുഖം - comforts appropriate to householder life
ത്യക്തം - abandoned
ന - not
സംതോഷതഃ - through contentment
സോഢഃ - endured; borne
ദുഃസഹ - hard to bear
ശീത - cold
താപ - heat
പവന - wind
ക്ലേശഃ - hardship
തപഃ - austerity
ന തപ്തം - not practiced/"heated" fully
ധ്യാതം - meditated on
വിത്തം - wealth
അഹര്നിശം - day and night
നിത്യമ് - always
ഇത - measured
പ്രാണൈഃ - with (limited) breath/life
ന - not
ശംഭോഃ - of Shiva
പദം - feet; state; goal
തത്തത് - this and that
കര്മ - actions
കൃതം - done
മുനിഭിഃ - by sages
തൈഃ തൈഃ - by those and those
ഫലൈഃ - fruits/results
വംചിതാഃ - cheated; deprived

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
We did not truly cultivate forgiveness; we did not abandon even ordinary comforts through contentment; we endured cold, heat, wind, and hardship, yet did not practice real austerity; we meditated on wealth day and night with our limited life-breaths, not on Shiva's feet. Thus the sages who did such works were "cheated" by the very fruits they gained.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse is a review of misdirected life: one can tolerate hardship, but still not develop inner patience; one can speak of renunciation, but still cling to comfort; one can "work hard", yet aim that work at wealth rather than at freedom. "Cheated by fruits" means: effort did produce outcomes, but those outcomes did not deliver the lasting peace that was implicitly sought. Seen through വിവേക (discernment), this is an invitation to let വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion) arise from understanding, not from bitterness.

This is a warning against intensity without orientation. People can spend decades optimizing comfort or chasing money and still feel spiritually barren. It is also a critique of spiritual practice done for ego, display, or reward: if the mind keeps clinging to objects, it does not rest in the ആത്മ (Self). In അദ്വൈത, the final aim is not a new possession, but release from the need to possess.

Practice: choose one daily action that clearly reduces craving and increases clarity - a short meditation, simple eating, truthful speech, or service without applause. Do it consistently. The verse says: effort matters, but direction matters more; aim your energy at what actually frees the mind.

ഭോഗാ ന ഭുക്താ വയം ഏവ ഭുക്താസ്
തപോ ന തപ്തം വയം ഏവ തപ്താഃ ।
കാലോ ന യാതോ വയം ഏവ യാതാസ്തൃഷ്ണാ
ന ജീര്ണാ വയം ഏവ ജീര്ണാഃ ॥ 3.7 ॥

ഛംദഃ (ഇംദ്രവജ്രാ): This is in ഇംദ്രവജ്രാ (സമ-വൃത്ത) Chandas/Meter: 4 പാദാഃ, 11 അക്ഷരാഃ per പാദ; ലഘു/ഗുരു pattern (per പാദ) is `GGLGGLLGLGG`.

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ഭോഗാഃ - pleasures; enjoyments
ന - not
ഭുക്താഃ - enjoyed (by us)
വയം - we
ഏവ - indeed
ഭുക്താഃ - were enjoyed/consumed
തപഃ - austerity
ന - not
തപ്തം - practiced/"heated"
വയം - we
ഏവ - indeed
തപ്താഃ - were burned
കാലഃ - time
ന - not
യാതഃ - went/passed
വയം - we
ഏവ - indeed
യാതാഃ - went/passed away
തൃഷ്ണാ - thirst; craving
ന - not
ജീര്ണാ - worn out; aged
വയം - we
ഏവ - indeed
ജീര്ണാഃ - became aged

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
We did not enjoy pleasures; pleasures consumed us. We did not practice austerity; hardship burned us. Time did not pass; we passed away. Craving did not grow old; we grew old.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
This is ഭര്തൃഹരി's famous reversal: the mind believes it is the master of enjoyment, but often it is the object that masters the mind. "Pleasures consumed us" means our attention, energy, and dignity were eaten up by chasing stimulation. "Time did not pass; we passed" means life is not a resource we own; it is what is being spent. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

In contemporary life, this is the feeling of being used by habits: addiction loops, compulsive productivity, endless entertainment. Schopenhauer's insight is relevant: desire is a perpetual lack, so the object seems to promise completion but the structure of craving renews itself. Krishnamurti adds that when you see the movement of craving directly, without justifying it, the spell weakens - not by force, but by understanding. The GItA frames this steadiness as സമത്വ (even-mindedness): action continues, but the inner demand for guaranteed outcomes is relaxed.

Practice: pick one habit where you feel "used" (phone, sugar, approval). For a week, insert a small pause before the impulse and do something simple but opposite: drink water, breathe, stand up, or delay by five minutes. Each pause restores agency. വൈരാഗ്യ begins as repeated small acts of freedom.

ബലിഭിര്മുഖം ആക്രാംതം പലിതേനാംകിതം ശിരഃ ।
ഗാത്രാണി ശിഥിലായംതേ തൃഷ്ണൈകാ തരുണായതേ ॥ 3.8 ॥

ഛംദഃ (അനുഷ്ടുഭ്): This is in അനുഷ്ടുഭ് (ശ്ലോക) Chandas/Meter: 4 പാദാഃ, 8 അക്ഷരാഃ per പാദ (32 total; commonly written/recited as two 16-syllable half-verses separated by `।`); പഥ്യാ cadence often ends as pAda 1/3 = `x x x x L G x G`, pAda 2/4 = `x x x x L G L G`; a common യതി (pause) is after the 4th or 5th syllable in each പാദ (separate from the natural pauses at `।` and `॥`). ലക്ഷണ ശ്ലോക: ശ്ലോകേ ഷഷ്ഠം ഗുരു ജ്ഞേയം സർവത്ര ലഘുപംചമമ് । ദ്വിചതുഷ്പാദയോഃ ഹ്രസ്വം സപ്തമം ദീര്ഘമന്യയോഃ ॥ - this mnemonic says the 6th syllable is ഗുരു and the 5th is ലഘു in all പാദാഃ; the 7th is ലഘു in pAda 2/4 and ഗുരു in pAda 1/3.

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ബലിഭിഃ - by weakness; by loss of strength (lit. "by forces" pressing down)
മുഖം - face
ആക്രാംതം - overpowered; seized
പലിതേന - by grey hair
അംകിതം - marked
ശിരഃ - head
ഗാത്രാണി - limbs
ശിഥിലായംതേ - become loose; slacken
തൃഷ്ണാ - craving; thirst
ഏകാ - alone
തരുണായതേ - remains young; becomes youthful

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
The face is overpowered by weakness, the head is marked by grey hair, and the limbs slacken; only craving remains young.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse makes a stark observation about aging: the body visibly declines, but the inner demand of wanting refuses to decline. Many people expect time itself to cure craving; ഭര്തൃഹരി says time only weakens the instruments, not the appetite. If the mind is not trained, desire outlives strength. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

This is easy to see today when people chase the same thrills even when health suffers: overwork, late-night scrolling, compulsive consumption, or repeated relationship patterns. The verse is not condemning pleasure; it is exposing compulsion. തൃഷ്ണാ (craving) is not solved by age; it is solved by വിവേക (clear discernment).

Practice: reflect on one desire that keeps repeating. Ask whether it actually brings lasting well-being or just temporary relief. Then choose one "elder" value to honor this week: simplicity, health, relationships, or inner quiet. Let actions respect the body's limits instead of fighting them.

വിവേകവ്യാകോശേ വിദധതി സമേ ശാമ്യതി തൃഷാ
പരിഷ്വംഗേ തുംഗേ പ്രസരതിതരാം സാ പരിണതാ ।
ജരാജീര്ണൈശ്വര്യഗ്രസനഗഹനാക്ഷേപകൃപണസ്തൃഷാപാത്രം
യസ്യാം ഭവതി മരുതാം അപ്യധിപതിഃ ॥ 3.8.1 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
വിവേക - discernment
വ്യാകോശഃ - open space; wide expanse
വിവേകവ്യാകോശേ - in the wide expanse of discernment
വിദധതി - it becomes; it takes on (a state)
സമേ - calm; even
ശാമ്യതി - becomes quiet; subsides
തൃഷാ - thirst; craving
പരിഷ്വംഗഃ - embrace
തുംഗഃ - lofty; intense
പരിഷ്വംഗേ തുംഗേ - in a lofty/intense embrace
പ്രസരതിതരാം - spreads even more
സാ - that (craving)
പരിണതാ - transformed; grown
ജരാ - old age
ജീര്ണ - worn out
ഐശ്വര്യ - power; wealth; lordship
ഗ്രസന - swallowing; devouring
ഗഹന - dense; hard to escape
ആക്ഷേപഃ - distraction; disturbance
കൃപണഃ - miserly; petty-minded
തൃഷാ - craving
പാത്രം - vessel; receptacle
യസ്യാം - in which case; for whom
ഭവതി - becomes
മരുതാം - of the gods ("Maruts" as a collective)
അപി - even
അധിപതിഃ - lord (i.e., Indra)

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
In the wide expanse of discernment, craving becomes calm; but in an intense embrace it spreads even more. Ensnared in the dense distractions of old age and power, even the lord of the gods can become a mere vessel of thirst.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
This verse contrasts two environments for the mind. In the open sky of വിവേക (discernment), craving quiets down because the mind sees clearly and is not pressed by stimulation. But in the intensity of close sensual contact, craving multiplies because imagination, memory, and anticipation all get fed. Then the poet adds a warning: power and wealth do not protect; they can actually amplify distraction, so even the "lord" can become a receptacle of thirst. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

In daily living, this is why discernment feels easy in calm moments and hard in high-arousal moments. Decisions made inside excitement often over-promise and under-deliver. Krishnamurti's point is relevant: desire gains strength through images and projections; when the mind stops feeding images, desire becomes simple and manageable. The verse is asking for that inner space even in the middle of life. This is the അനിത്യതാ (impermanence) reflection that Sa~gkarAcArya uses to awaken വൈരാഗ്യ: seeing change clearly, we stop demanding permanent comfort from it.

Practice: decide your boundaries and values in a calm hour, not in the heat of attraction or anger. When you feel pulled, step back and create a little "sky": a walk, a breath, a delay, a honest conversation. Let closeness be guided by clarity and consent, not by compulsion. That is വൈരാഗ്യ as maturity, not as denial.

നിവൃത്താ ഭോഗേച്ഛാ പുരുഷബഹുമാനോഽപി ഗലിതഃ
സമാനാഃ സ്വര്യാതാഃ സപദി സുഹൃദോ ജീവിതസമാഃ ।
ശനൈര്യഷ്ട്യുത്ഥാനം ഘനതിമിരരുദ്ധേ ച നയനേ
അഹോ മൂഢഃ കായസ്തദപി മരണാപായചകിതഃ ॥ 3.9 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
നിവൃത്താ - has ceased; has turned away
ഭോഗ - pleasure
ഇച്ഛാ - desire
ഭോഗേച്ഛാ - desire for pleasure
പുരുഷ - person
ബഹുമാനഃ - self-respect; pride; honor
അപി - even
ഗലിതഃ - slipped away; fallen
സമാനാഃ - equal; alike
സ്വര്യാതാഃ - have gone to heaven; have passed away
സുഹൃദഃ - friends
ജീവിത - life
സമാഃ - equal to; like
ശനഈഃ - slowly
യഷ്ടി - staff
ഉത്ഥാനം - getting up
ഘന - dense
തിമിര - darkness
രുദ്ധേ - obstructed; blocked
നയനേ - in the eyes
അഹോ - alas!
മൂഢഃ - foolish
കായഃ - body
തദപി - even then
മരണ - death
ആപായ - danger; calamity
ചകിതഃ - frightened

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
Desire for pleasure has ceased, and even self-respect has slipped away; friends, equal to life itself, have departed. Rising now requires a staff, and the eyes are blocked by thick darkness - alas, the foolish body is still frightened of the danger of death.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse is a sober inventory of old age: pleasures no longer attract, pride no longer stands, friends are gone, eyesight dims, the body needs support. Yet fear of death remains. The irony is sharp: the body is called മൂഢഃ (foolish) because it clings to life even when the usual reasons for clinging have already faded. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

In modern terms, this points to how fear can survive even after the "content" of life changes. People keep worrying about status after retirement, keep chasing validation after friendships thin out, keep fearing loss even when there is little left to lose. വൈരാഗ്യ is not coldness; it is meeting reality early, so fear does not ambush you late.

Practice: do a small "death rehearsal" in a healthy way: imagine losing one attachment (a role, a possession, an image) and notice that awareness still remains. If this feels heavy, keep it gentle and short. The goal is not morbidity; it is courage - training the mind to rest in what is stable, so fear becomes smaller.

ആശാ നാമ നദീ മനോരഥജലാ തൃഷ്ണാതരംഗാകുലാ
രാഗഗ്രാഹവതീ വിതര്കവിഹഗാ ധൈര്യദ്രുമധ്വംസിനീ ।
മോഹാവര്തസുദുസ്തരാതിഗഹനാ പ്രോത്തുംഗചിംതാതടീ
തസ്യാഃ പരഗതാ വിശുദ്ധം അലസോ നംദംതി യോഗീശ്വരാഃ ॥ 3.10 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ആശാ - hope; expectation
നാമ - called; indeed
നദീ - river
മനോരഥ - imagination; wish
ജലാ - water (f.)
മനോരഥജലാ - whose water is imagination/wish
തൃഷ്ണാ - craving
തരംഗ - waves
ആകുലാ - turbulent; full of
രാഗ - attachment; passion
ഗ്രാഹഃ - crocodile
വതീ - possessing
രാഗഗ്രാഹവതീ - having crocodiles of attachment
വിതര്ക - thoughts; doubts; argumentation
വിഹഗഃ - bird
വിതര്കവിഹഗാഃ - birds of restless thoughts
ധൈര്യ - steadiness; courage
ദ്രുമഃ - tree
ധ്വംസനീ - destroying
ധൈര്യദ്രുമധ്വംസിനീ - destroyer of the tree of steadiness
മോഹ - delusion
ആവര്തഃ - whirlpool
സു - very
ദുസ്തര - hard to cross
അതി - extremely
ഗഹനാ - deep; dense
മോഹാവര്തസുദുസ്തരാതിഗഹനാ - extremely deep and hard-to-cross whirlpool of delusion (compound)
പ്രോത്തുംഗ - very lofty
ചിംതാ - worry
തടീ - bank
പ്രോത്തുംഗചിംതാതടീ - with high banks of worry
തസ്യാഃ - having crossed beyond it; for those who have gone beyond it
പരഗതാഃ - crossed over; gone beyond
വിശുദ്ധം - pure; clear
അലസാഃ - effortless; relaxed; free from strain
നംദംതി - rejoice
യോഗീശ്വരാഃ - great yogins

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
Hope is a river whose water is imagination, turbulent with waves of craving; it has crocodiles of attachment, birds of restless thoughts, and it destroys the tree of steadiness. It is a terribly deep whirlpool of delusion with high banks of worry. Those who have crossed beyond it - the great yogins - rejoice in effortless purity.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
This is one of the most vivid diagnoses of the inner life: ആശാ (hope/expectation) looks innocent, but when mixed with തൃഷ്ണാ (craving) it becomes a dangerous river. Imagination becomes "water", attachment becomes "crocodiles", thoughts become "birds", and worry becomes the high banks that keep you trapped in the same channel. The yogin is defined simply as the one who has crossed this river and can rest without strain.

In daily life, this is the mind that lives in projections: "When I get that, I will finally be okay." Schopenhauer calls this the structure of suffering in desire; Krishnamurti points out that psychological time - the future as a promise - is a subtle escape from the present. The verse does not ask you to kill hope; it asks you to see when hope has become a cage. The GItA frames this steadiness as സമത്വ (even-mindedness): action continues, but the inner demand for guaranteed outcomes is relaxed.

Practice: each time you notice anxious imagining, label it gently as "river-water" and return to one concrete present action. Do one small duty fully: one email, one call, one meal, one breath. Over time, this weakens ചിംതാ (worry) and strengthens ധൈര്യ (steadiness). Crossing the river begins with coming back to "now" again and again.

ന സംസാരോത്പന്നം ചരിതം അനുപശ്യാമി കുശലം
വിപാകഃ പുണ്യാനാം ജനയതി ഭയം മേ വിമൃശതഃ ।
മഹദ്ഭിഃ പുണ്യൌഘൈശ്ചിരപരിഗൃഹീതാശ്ച വിഷയാ
മഹാംതോ ജായംതേ വ്യസനം ഇവ ദാതും വിഷയിണാമ് ॥ 3.11 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ന - not
സംസാര - worldly life; the cycle of becoming
ഉത്പന്നം - arisen from; born of
സംസാരോത്പന്നം - born of worldly life
ചരിതം - conduct; way of living
അനുപശ്യാമി - I observe; I see
കുശലം - wholesome; auspicious; truly beneficial
വിപാകഃ - ripening; fruit; result
പുണ്യാനാം - of merits; of good deeds
ജനയതി - produces; gives rise to
ഭയം - fear
മേ - to me; in me
വിമൃശതഃ - when reflecting; on careful consideration
മഹദ്ഭിഃ - by great; by large
പുണ്യൌഘൈഃ - by floods/masses of merit
ചിര - long (time)
പരിഗൃഹീതാഃ - acquired; obtained; held
ച - and
വിഷയാഃ - sense objects; enjoyments
മഹാംതഃ - great
ജായംതേ - arise; become
വ്യസനം - calamity; misfortune; addiction-like trouble
ഇവ - as if
ദാതും - to give
വിഷയിണാം - for those who indulge in objects; for sense-enjoyers

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
I do not see any truly safe conduct that is born of worldly life; when I reflect, even the fruits of merit produce fear in me. Sense objects obtained through great accumulated merit often become great misfortunes for those who indulge in them.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse says: there is no "safe" arrangement inside സംസാര (worldly becoming). Even പുണ്യ (merit) can mature into anxiety because it brings attractive objects, and attractive objects awaken attachment. What looks like a reward can become a trap: the more you have, the more you fear losing; the more you enjoy, the more you must maintain.

In contemporary terms, success often increases stress: larger responsibilities, a reputation to defend, lifestyle inflation, relationships colored by money, and the quiet fear of falling. This is why വൈരാഗ്യ is not negativity; it is protection. It does not say "do not do good"; it says "do not bind your peace to outcomes".

Practice: keep doing good work, but regularly train non-attachment. Choose one "result" you are clinging to and loosen it: share credit, simplify a possession, or accept a smaller win without complaint. The mind learns that security does not come from holding more, but from needing less.

അവശ്യം യാതാരശ്ചിരതരം ഉഷിത്വാപി വിഷയാ
വിയോഗേ കോ ഭേദസ്ത്യജതി ന ജനോ യത്സ്വയം അമൂന് ।
വ്രജംതഃ സ്വാതംത്ര്യാദതുലപരിതാപായ മനസഃ
സ്വയം ത്യക്താ ഹ്യേതേ ശമസുഖം അനംതം വിദധതി ॥ 3.12 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
അവശ്യം - inevitably; certainly
യാതാരഃ - those that will go away; those that depart
ചിരതരം - for a long time
ഉഷിത്വാ - having stayed
അപി - even
വിഷയാഃ - sense objects; enjoyments
വിയോഗേ - in separation
കഃ - what?
ഭേദഃ - difference
ത്യജതി - gives up; abandons
ന - not
ജനഃ - a person
യത് - because
സ്വയം - oneself
അമൂന് - these (objects)
വ്രജംതഃ - going away
സ്വാതംത്ര്യാത് - by their own independence
അതുല - incomparable
പരിതാപായ - for torment; for burning distress
മനസഃ - for the mind
സ്വയം - by oneself
ത്യക്താഃ - abandoned
ഹി - indeed
ഏതേ - these (objects)
ശമ - calm; peace
സുഖം - happiness
അനംതം - endless
വിദധതി - bestow; produce

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
Sense objects will inevitably depart, even if they stay a long time; in separation, what difference is there between a person giving them up and them giving up the person? When they depart of their own will they bring incomparable torment to the mind, but when one renounces them willingly they bestow endless peace.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse makes a subtle distinction: loss and renunciation look similar externally, but they feel completely different internally. When the object leaves on its own terms, the mind burns with helplessness; when the mind releases the object by choice, the mind tastes freedom. The same event can be suffering or relief depending on who is holding whom. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

This is deeply practical today. Jobs, roles, people, and health eventually change; if identity is glued to them, change feels like injury. If attachment is loosened early, change becomes a transition. The ഈശ ഉപനിഷത് captures this spirit in one line: ത്യക്തേന ഭുഞീഥാഃ - enjoy through renunciation; the joy is real when possession is not demanded.

Practice: pick one object of attachment and rehearse letting go in a small way. Give away one item, share one privilege, or accept one "no" without bargaining. Each deliberate release strengthens the mind's capacity for peace, so that inevitable change hurts less.

ബ്രഹ്മജ്ഞാനവിവേകനിര്മലധിയഃ കുർവംത്യഹോ ദുഷ്കരം
യന്മുംചംത്യുപഭോഗഭാംജ്യപി ധനാന്യേകാംതതോ നിഃസ്പൃഹാഃ ।
സംപ്രാതാന്ന പുരാ ന സംപ്രതി ന ച പ്രാപ്തൌ ദൃഢപ്രത്യയാന്
വാംഛാമാത്രപരിഗ്രഹാനപി പരം ത്യക്തും ന ശക്താ വയമ് ॥ 3.13 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ബ്രഹ്മ - the Absolute; Brahman
ജ്ഞാന - knowledge
വിവേക - discernment
നിര്മല - pure; spotless
ധിയഃ - minds (gen. pl.)
ബ്രഹ്മജ്ഞാനവിവേകനിര്മലധിയഃ - those whose minds are purified by Brahman-knowledge and discernment
കുർവംതി - do; perform
അഹോ - ah! indeed (wonder/exclamation)
ദുഷ്കരം - difficult (thing)
യത് - that which; because
മുംചംതി - abandon; let go
ഉപഭോഗ - enjoyment
ഭാഞ് - granting; bringing about (in verse compound)
ധനാനി - wealth; possessions
ഏകാംതതഃ - completely; entirely
നിഃസ്പൃഹാഃ - without craving; without desire
സംപ്രാത് - now; at present
ന - not
പുരാ - before; formerly
ന സംപ്രതി - not now
ന ച - nor
പ്രാപ്തൌ - in attainment; in the (final) getting
ദൃഢ - firm
പ്രത്യയാന് - convictions; settled faith (acc. pl.)
വാംഛാ - wish; longing
മാത്ര - mere; only
പരിഗ്രഹാന് - graspings; acquisitions; possessions
അപി - even
പരം - completely; at all
ത്യക്തും - to abandon
ന ശക്താഃ - are not able
വയം - we

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
How difficult a thing those with minds purified by Brahman-knowledge and discernment accomplish: with complete dispassion they utterly abandon wealth that enables enjoyment. But we, lacking firm conviction in past, present, or final attainment, cannot give up even mere wish-driven grasping.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse honors a high level of dispassion: letting go not because you lost, but because you are free. Such a person does not hate wealth; they simply do not need it for inner stability. Then the poet turns the mirror on us: our problem is not lack of possessions, but lack of conviction - we do not truly trust what we claim to value, so we keep clinging. Seen through വിവേക (discernment), this is an invitation to let വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion) arise from understanding, not from bitterness.

In modern life, this is the gap between ideals and habits. We may say we want peace, but we still feed the same comparison and accumulation. Schopenhauer would say: the will keeps grasping because it has not seen its own futility clearly enough. The verse says: വിവേക must become real, not rhetorical.

Practice: do not try to renounce everything at once. Choose one small "wish-based grasping" (an impulse buy, a status display, a compulsive check) and drop it for a month. Replace it with something that builds inner confidence: study, skill, service, meditation. Dispassion grows when the mind experiences a deeper satisfaction.

ധന്യാനാം ഗിരികംദരേഷു വസതാം ജ്യോതിഃ പരം ധ്യായതാമാനംദാശ്രു
ജലം പിബംതി ശകുനാ നിഃശംകം അംകേശയാഃ ।
അസ്മാകം തു മനോരഥോപരചിതപ്രാസാദവാപീതടക്രീഡാ
കാനനകേലികൌതുകജുഷാം ആയുഃ പരം ക്ഷീയതേ ॥ 3.14 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ധന്യാനാം - of the blessed; of the fortunate
ഗിരി - mountain
കംദര - cave
ഗിരികംദരേഷു - in mountain caves
വസതാം - living; dwelling
ജ്യോതിഃ - light
പരം - supreme
ധ്യായതാം - of those meditating on
ആനംദ - bliss
ആശ്രു - tears
ജലം - water
പിബംതി - drink
ശകുനാഃ - birds
നിഃശംകം - fearlessly; without suspicion
അംകേശയാഃ - sitting on the lap (those seated on the lap)
അസ്മാകം - of us
തു - but
മനോരഥ - imagination; wish
ഉപരചിത - constructed; built
പ്രാസാദ - palace
വാപീ - pond; tank
തട - bank
ക്രീഡാ - play; sport
കാനന - grove; pleasure-forest
കേലി - amusement; play
കൌതുക - delight; curiosity
ജുഷാം - of those who indulge in
ആയുഃ - life
പരം - greatly
ക്ഷീയതേ - is worn away; is wasted

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
Blessed are those who live in mountain caves meditating on the supreme light: birds perched on their laps drink the water of their tears of bliss without fear. But our lives are worn away in pleasures of imagination - playing at the banks of palace-ponds and in pleasure-groves built by wishful thoughts.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse contrasts two kinds of "worlds". One is simple and real: a yogin in a cave, meditating on the പരം ജ്യോതിഃ (supreme light), so full of peace that even birds trust him and drink his tears of bliss. The other is elaborate but unreal: palaces and pleasure-groves built by imagination, where life gets consumed in fantasy and entertainment. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

This is strikingly modern. Many people do not live in caves, but live in mental palaces: endless scenarios, worries, and curated pleasures. The mind can spend more time "living" inside screens and projections than inside reality. Krishnamurti's warning about living in images applies directly: the image-world feels rich, but it drains life. The GItA frames this steadiness as സമത്വ (even-mindedness): action continues, but the inner demand for guaranteed outcomes is relaxed.

Practice: reduce one stream of imagination-fuel this week (doom-scrolling, gossip, over-planning). Use that time for one direct, grounding act: sit quietly, walk, read a few pages of a scripture, or serve someone. The verse says: the supreme light is accessed through simplicity and attention, not through ever-more stimulation.

ഭിക്ഷാശതം തദപി നീരസം ഏകബാരം
ശയ്യാ ച ഭൂഃ പരിജനോ നിജദേഹമാത്രമ് ।
വസ്ത്രം വിശീര്ണശതഖംഡമയീ ച കംഥാ
ഹാ ഹാ തഥാപി വിഷയാ ന പരിത്യജംതി ॥ 3.15 ॥

ഛംദഃ (വസംതതിലകാ): This is in വസംതതിലകാ (സമ-വൃത്ത) Chandas/Meter: 4 പാദാഃ, 14 അക്ഷരാഃ per പാദ; ലഘു/ഗുരു pattern (per പാദ) is `GGLGLLLGLLGLGG`.

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ഭിക്ഷാ - alms
ശതം - a hundred (i.e., many)
തദപി - even that
നീരസം - tasteless; without relish
ഏകബാരം - once (a day)
ശയ്യാ - bed
ച - and
ഭൂഃ - earth
പരിജനഃ - attendants; companions
നിജ - one's own
ദേഹ - body
മാത്രം - only
നിജദേഹമാത്രം - one's own body alone
വസ്ത്രം - clothing
വിശീര്ണ - torn; worn out
ശത - hundred
ഖംഡ - pieces
ശതഖംഡമയീ - made of a hundred pieces
കംഥാ - a rag; patched cloth
ഹാ ഹാ - alas! alas!
തഥാപി - even then
വിഷയാഃ - sense objects; cravings
ന - not
പരിത്യജംതി - abandon; give up

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
Even if one lives on tasteless alms once a day, sleeps on the earth with no companion but one's own body, and wears only a rag made of a hundred torn patches - alas, even then the cravings for sense objects do not leave.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse points to a hard fact: desire is not only about external comfort. Even when life is reduced to bare minimum, the mind can continue to crave. This is why വൈരാഗ്യ is not merely changing lifestyle; it is changing the inner relationship to wanting. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

In modern life, you can see this when people simplify externally but keep scrolling endlessly, or when a person leaves one addiction and immediately substitutes another. Krishnamurti's insight is relevant: desire is sustained by thought and image; if images keep running, desire keeps returning. The external change is helpful, but the root is inward. The GItA frames this steadiness as സമത്വ (even-mindedness): action continues, but the inner demand for guaranteed outcomes is relaxed.

Practice: instead of fighting desire, observe it. When a craving arises, notice the image it brings and the promise it makes. Let the image be seen and pass without acting on it immediately. Repeated "seeing without obeying" is the beginning of inner freedom.

സ്തനൌ മാംസഗ്രംഥീ കനകകലശാവിത്യുപമിതീ
മുഖം ശ്ലേഷ്മാഗാരം തദപി ച ശശാംകേന തുലിതമ് ।
സ്രവന്മൂത്രക്ലിന്നം കരിവരശിരസ്പര്ധി ജഘനം
മുഹുര്നിംദ്യം രൂപം കവിജനവിശേഷൈര്ഗുരുകൃതമ് ॥ 3.16 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
സ്തനൌ - breasts (dual)
മാംസ - flesh
ഗ്രംഥീ - knot; lump
മാംസഗ്രംഥീ - mere knots of flesh
കനക - gold
കലശഃ - pot; pitcher
ഇവ - like (in verse join)
ഉപമിതീ - compared
മുഖം - face
ശ്ലേഷ്മ - phlegm
ആഗാരം - house
ശ്ലേഷ്മാഗാരം - a house of phlegm
തദപി - even that
ശശാംകേന - with the moon
തുലിതം - compared
സ്രവത് - flowing
മൂത്ര - urine
ക്ലിന്നം - wet; soaked
കരിവര - great elephant
ശിരസഃ - of the head
സ്പര്ധി - rivaling
ജഘനം - hips/buttocks
മുഹുഃ - again and again
നിംദ്യം - contemptible; blameworthy
രൂപം - form; body
കവിജന - poets
വിശേഷൈഃ - by the prominent/expert ones
ഗുരു - heavy; great
കൃതം - made; fashioned (as in praise)

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
Breasts are mere knots of flesh, yet compared to golden pots; the face is a house of phlegm, yet compared to the moon; the hips are soaked with flowing urine, yet rival an elephant's brow. Again and again this contemptible body is made "great" by poets.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
This verse is a deliberate shock meant to puncture romantic illusion. ഭര്തൃഹരി is not denying beauty; he is exposing the mind's habit of covering a perishable body with poetic fantasy and then becoming enslaved by its own fantasy. By naming what the body actually is, he forces the reader to separate perception from projection. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

In daily life, this shows up when attraction blinds judgment: red flags get painted over, boundaries get crossed, and people confuse chemistry with character. ആദി ശംകരാചാര്യ makes a similar wake-up call in ഭ്ഹജ ഗോവിംദമ്: മാ കുരു ധന ജന യൌവന ഗർവം - do not be intoxicated by wealth, people, or youth. The point is not to hate, but to see clearly.

Practice: when attraction arises, add one question of discernment: "What is the person's character and conduct?" Let beauty be appreciated, but do not let it become hypnosis. If you cultivate this habit, love becomes wiser and less compulsive.

ഏകോ രാഗിഷു രാജതേ പ്രിയതമാദേഹാര്ധഹാരീ ഹരോ
നീരാഗേഷു ജനോ വിമുക്തലലനാസംഗോ ന യസ്മാത്പരഃ ।
ദുർവാരസ്മരബാണപന്നഗവിഷവ്യാബിദ്ധമുഗ്ധോ ജനഃ
ശേഷഃ കാമവിഡംബിതാന്ന വിഷയാന്ഭോക്തും ന മോക്തും ക്ഷമഃ ॥ 3.17 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ഏകോ - one alone; only one
രാഗിഷു - among the passionate/attached
രാജതേ - shines; stands out
പ്രിയതമാ - beloved (f.)
ദേഹ - body
അര്ധ - half
ഹാരീ - taking/bearing
ദേഹാര്ധഹാരീ - bearing half the body (allusion to ArdhanArISvara)
ഹരഃ - Shiva
നീരാഗേഷു - among the dispassionate
ജനഃ - person
വിമുക്ത - freed
ലലനാ - woman
സംഗഃ - attachment
വിമുക്തലലനാസംഗഃ - one free from attachment to women
ന - not
യസ്മാത് - than whom
പരഃ - higher; greater
ദുർവാര - irresistible; hard to restrain
സ്മര - Cupid; desire
ബാണ - arrow
പന്നഗ - serpent
വിഷ - poison
വ്യാബിദ്ധ - pierced; struck through
മുഗ്ധഃ - deluded
ശേഷഃ - the rest
കാമ - desire
വിഡംബിതഃ - mocked; made ridiculous
ന - not
വിഷയാന് - sense objects
ഭോക്തും - to enjoy
ന - nor
മോക്തും - to release; to renounce
ക്ഷമഃ - capable

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
Among the passionate, only Shiva stands out - he who bears half of his beloved's body. Among the dispassionate, none is greater than the one free from attachment to women. The rest of humanity, deluded and pierced by the poison of Cupid's serpent-like arrows, can neither truly enjoy sense objects nor truly renounce them.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse criticizes the "in-between" state: not wholehearted love, not wholehearted freedom. A person who is deeply attached is at least honest about attachment; a person who is truly dispassionate is free. But most people are mocked by desire because they oscillate - they chase, then feel guilty; they renounce, then crave; they enjoy, then fear consequences. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

This is a common modern pattern: half-commitment in relationships, half-commitment in spiritual life, half-commitment in work. The result is chronic inner friction. The verse invites clarity: either cultivate a mature, ethical love with responsibility, or cultivate inner freedom with discipline - but do not keep living in contradiction. The GItA frames this steadiness as സമത്വ (even-mindedness): action continues, but the inner demand for guaranteed outcomes is relaxed.

Practice: choose one axis to become consistent. If you are in a relationship, bring honesty, boundaries, and commitment. If you are stepping back, do it without bitterness and with a clear practice (study, meditation, service). Consistency is what turns both love and renunciation into strength instead of confusion.

അജാനംദാഹാത്മ്യം പതതു ശലഭസ്തീവ്രദഹനേ
സ മീനോഽപ്യജ്ഞാനാദ്ബഡിശയുതം അശ്നാതു പിശിതമ് ।
വിജാനംതോഽപ്യേതേ വയം ഇഹ വിയജ്ജാലജടിലാന്
ന മുംചാമഃ കാനാം അഹഹ ഗഹനോ മോഹമഹിമാ ॥ 3.18 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
അജാനന് - not knowing
ആഹാത്മ്യം - nature; real character
പതതു - may fall
ശലഭഃ - moth
തീവ്ര - fierce
ദഹനഃ - fire
തീവ്രദഹനേ - in fierce fire
സ - that
മീനഃ - fish
അപി - even
അജ്ഞാനാത് - from ignorance
ബഡിശ - hook
യുതം - attached; joined
പിശിതം - flesh; bait
അശ്നാതു - may eat
വിജാനംതഃ - knowing; understanding
അപി - even
ഏതേ - these
വയം - we
ഇഹ - here (in this life)
വിയത് - sky
ജാല - net
ജടിലാന് - tangled; net-like entanglements
ന മുംചാമഃ - we do not release; we do not let go
കാനാം - (as written) of what is desired/attractive (often read as "of desires")
അഹഹ - alas!
ഗഹനഃ - deep; hard to escape
മോഹ - delusion
മഹിമാ - power; greatness
മോഹമഹിമാ - the power of delusion

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
Not knowing the fire's true nature, a moth falls into the fierce flame; and a fish, through ignorance, swallows bait with a hook attached. But we, even knowing, do not let go of these tangled nets of attraction - alas, deep is the power of delusion.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse distinguishes ignorance from weakness of will. The moth and fish are trapped because they do not know; we are trapped even after knowing. That is why മോഹ (delusion) is called deep: it is not only lack of information, it is the mind's ability to override what it knows in the name of immediate relief or pleasure. Seen through വിവേക (discernment), this is an invitation to let വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion) arise from understanding, not from bitterness.

In modern life, this is the core of addiction loops: "I know this harms me" and yet the hand reaches. It is also seen in toxic relationships and compulsive scrolling. Krishnamurti would say that mere analysis is not transformation; transformation begins when you see the mechanism in action, without excuses. The verse is asking for that honest observation. Sa~gkarAcArya's ഭ്ഹജ ഗോവിംദമ് returns to this point often: do not postpone inner clarity for outer arrangements; convert insight into a small daily discipline.

Practice: reduce the distance between knowing and doing. Remove one easy trigger (an app shortcut, a late-night routine, a tempting environment) and replace it with one supportive cue (a book, a walk, a call). Make the right action easier than the wrong one. This is practical വൈരാഗ്യ: designing life so delusion has less room to operate.

തൃഷാ ശുഷ്യത്യാസ്യേ പിബതി സലിലം ശീതമധുരം
ക്ഷുധാര്തഃ ശാല്യന്നം കവലയതി മാംസാദികലിതമ് ।
പ്രദീപ്തേ കാമാഗ്നൌ സുദൃഢതരം ആലിംഗതി വധൂം
പ്രതീകാരം വ്യാധഃ സുഖം ഇതി വിപര്യസ്യതി ജനഃ ॥ 3.19 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
തൃഷാ - thirst
ശുഷ്യതി - dries up
ആസ്യേ - in the mouth
പിബതി - drinks
സലിലം - water
ശീത - cool
മധുരം - sweet
ക്ഷുധാ - hunger
അര്തഃ - afflicted
ക്ഷുധാര്തഃ - one afflicted by hunger
ശാലി - rice
അന്നം - food
കവലയതി - eats; swallows
മാംസ - meat
ആദി - and so on
കലിതം - mixed with; combined with
പ്രദീപ്തേ - when blazing
കാമ - desire
അഗ്നിഃ - fire
കാമാഗ്നിഃ - the fire of desire
സുദൃഢതരം - very tightly
ആലിംഗതി - embraces
വധൂം - a woman; bride
പ്രതീകാരം - remedy; countermeasure
വ്യാധഃ - disease
സുഖം - pleasure; happiness
ഇതി - thus
വിപര്യസ്യതി - mistakes; reverses; misconstrues
ജനഃ - people

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
When thirst dries the mouth one drinks cool sweet water; when hunger bites one eats rice and meat; when the fire of desire blazes one clings tightly to a woman - people mistake the "remedy" for a disease as pleasure.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse says: hunger and thirst have true remedies that restore balance, but desire tricks the mind into treating indulgence itself as the cure. What is actually a disease-pattern is labeled as happiness. This is the difference between need and addiction: needs end when met; addictions grow when fed. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

In everyday life, this confusion is everywhere: retail therapy for emptiness, pornography for loneliness, overwork for insecurity, alcohol for stress. Schopenhauer's analysis of desire fits: the will seeks relief, but the relief is temporary and the dissatisfaction returns stronger. The verse invites വിവേക to ask, "Is this a cure, or a cycle?"

Practice: when a desire spikes, do not immediately obey it. First try a true remedy for the underlying state: rest, food, water, movement, honest conversation, prayer. If desire remains after balance is restored, choose deliberately rather than compulsively. This one step breaks the confusion between relief and freedom.

തുംഗം വേശ്മ സുതാഃ സതാം അഭിമതാഃ സംഖ്യാതിഗാഃ സംപദഃ
കല്യാണീ ദയിതാ വയശ്ച നവം ഇത്യജ്ഞാനമൂഢോ ജനഃ ।
മത്വാ വിശ്വം അനശ്വരം നിവിശതേ സംസാരകാരാഗൃഹേ
സംദൃശ്യ ക്ഷണഭംഗുരം തദഖിലം ധന്യസ്തു സന്ന്യസ്യതി ॥ 3.20 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
തുംഗം - lofty; high
വേശ്മ - house; mansion
സുതാഃ - children
സതാം - of good people
അഭിമതാഃ - approved; esteemed
സംഖ്യാതിഗാഃ - beyond counting; countless
സംപദഃ - wealth; prosperity
കല്യാണീ - virtuous; auspicious
ദയിതാ - beloved; wife
വയഃ - age
ച - and
നവം - new; youthful
ഇതി - thus
അജ്ഞാന - ignorance
മൂഢഃ - deluded person
ജനഃ - person
മത്വാ - thinking; believing
വിശ്വം - the world
അനശ്വരം - permanent; not perishing
നിവിശതേ - enters; settles in
സംസാര - worldly life
കാരാഗൃഹം - prison-house
സംദൃശ്യ - having seen clearly
ക്ഷണ - moment
ഭംഗുരം - fragile; perishable
തദഖിലം - all that
ധന്യഃ - blessed
തു - but
സന്ന്യസ്യതി - renounces; lays down

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
Thinking, "I have a lofty house, children, esteem among the good, countless wealth, a virtuous beloved, and youth," the ignorant person believes the world permanent and settles into the prison-house of worldly life. The blessed one, seeing all this to be momentary, renounces.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse diagnoses the root mistake: അനശ്വര (thinking things are permanent) when they are actually ക്ഷണഭംഗുര (momentary). From that mistake comes the prison of സംസാര: clinging, fear, and endless maintenance. The "blessed" person is not someone who hates life; it is someone who sees impermanence clearly and therefore does not build identity on what will inevitably change.

In modern life, this shows up as assuming a role, a relationship, or youth will last and then collapsing when it changes. This is why വൈരാഗ്യ is a kindness to yourself: it prepares you. Many Upanishadic teachings point to this shift from the transient to the real; the change begins when you stop expecting permanence from what is not designed to be permanent.

Practice: do a short daily contemplation of impermanence: "This too will pass." Let it not become depression; let it become gratitude and priority. Spend more time on what deepens you (character, love, knowledge, service) and less time on what only decorates you. When you live from that clarity, the prison-door opens.

ദീനാ ദീനമുഖൈഃ സദൈവ ശിശുകൈരാകൃഷ്ടജീര്ണാംബരാ
ക്രോശദ്ഭിഃ ക്ഷുധിതൈര്നിരന്നവിധുരാ ദൃശ്യാ ന ചേദ്ഗേഹിനീ ।
യാച്ഞാഭംഗഭയേന ഗദ്ഗദഗലത്രുട്യദ്വിലീനാക്ഷരം
കോ ദേഹീതി വദേത്സ്വദഗ്ധജഠരസ്യാര്ഥേ മനസ്വീ പുമാന് ॥ 3.21 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ദീനാ - distressed; miserable; wretched (f.)
ദീന - poor; pitiable
മുഖ - face
ദീനമുഖൈഃ - with pitiable faces
സദൈവ - always
ശിശുകൈഃ - by little children
ആകര്ശിത - pulled; tugged (in verse: ആകൃഷ്ട)
ജീര്ണ - worn-out; old
അംബരം - cloth; garment
ആകൃഷ്ടജീര്ണാംബരാ - whose worn garments are tugged at (compound)
ക്രോശദ്ഭിഃ - by those crying aloud
ക്ഷുധിത - hungry (in verse: ക്ഷുധിതൈഃ)
നിരന്ന - without food
വിധുരാ - afflicted; distressed
ദൃശ്യാ - seen; visible
ന ചേത് - if not / if (she is not) (i.e., if such a sight is not seen)
ഗേഹിനീ - housewife; wife
യാച്ഞാ - begging; petition (as in യാച്ഞാ)
ഭംഗഃ - breaking; refusal (of a request)
ഭയേന - out of fear
ഗദ്ഗദ - choked; stammering
ഗലത് - slipping; faltering
ത്രുട്യ(ത്) - breaking; cracking (in verse: ത്രുട്യദ്)
വിലീന - dissolved; lost
അക്ഷരം - syllable/letter (here: speech)
കഃ - who?
ദേഹീ - give!
ഇതി - thus
വദേത് - would say
സ്വ - one's own
ദഗ്ധ - burned; scorched
ജഠരഃ - belly; stomach (hunger)
അര്ഥേ - for the sake of
മനസ്വീ - high-minded; self-respecting
പുമാന് - man; person

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
If one's wife must be seen in utter distress - her worn clothes tugged by hungry, crying children - then who with self-respect would, merely for his own burning hunger, beg "Give (me)" in a choking, faltering voice, afraid his request will be refused?

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse is not trying to glorify suffering; it is trying to expose the hidden cost of dependency. When a household is driven into begging, the shame is not confined to the one who asks; it spills onto the spouse and children - their hunger, their tears, their dignity. Bhartruhari calls a truly strong person മനസ്വീ (high-minded, self-respecting) because he refuses to let his life's choices push his family into that state. Seen through വിവേക (discernment), this is an invitation to let വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion) arise from understanding, not from bitterness.

In everyday situations, this shows up as living beyond means and then paying for it with small humiliations: borrowing repeatedly from friends, flattering a toxic boss because the budget has no slack, or staying stuck in a harmful situation because there is no cushion. The verse is not a condemnation of seeking help in genuine crisis; it is a warning against building a life where one's desires create helplessness. The deeper point is വിവേക (discernment): reduce avoidable wants early, so you never have to trade dignity for survival later.

Practice: simplify one recurring expense and build a small buffer, even if it is slow. Pair that with one skill-building effort that increases your independence. If you ever must ask for help, do it honestly and with a plan for recovery - without melodrama, without manipulation. Cultivate സംതോഷ (contentment) so hunger does not become a moral trap.

അഭിമതമഹാമാനഗ്രംഥിപ്രഭേദപടീയസീ
ഗുരുതരഗുണഗ്രാമാഭോജസ്ഫുടോജ്ജ്വലചംദ്രികാ ।
വിപുലവിലല്ലജ്ജാവല്ലീവിതാനകുഠാരികാ
ജഠരപിഠരീ ദുസ്പുരേയം കരോതി വിഡംബനമ് ॥ 3.22 ॥

ഛംദഃ (മാത്രാ-ചംദസ്): This is in a മാത്രാ-based Chandas/Meter (not a fixed അക്ഷര-count വൃത്ത): in this verse, the written segments carry approximately 22 + 22 + 21 + 20 മാത്രാഃ (total 85); treat ലഘു=1 മാത്രാ and ഗുരു=2 മാത്രാഃ, and keep the natural pauses at the segment ends marked by `।`/`॥` (do not confuse ദംഡ with internal യതി).

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
അഭിമത - cherished; held dear
മഹാമാനഃ - great pride/self-respect
ഗ്രംഥിഃ - knot
പ്രഭേദഃ - cutting; breaking open
പടീയസീ - very skilful; adept
അഭിമതമഹാമാനഗ്രംഥിപ്രഭേദപടീയസീ - highly skilled in cutting the knot of cherished pride (compound)
ഗുരുതര - very great; weighty
ഗുണ - virtue; good quality
ഗ്രാമഃ - group; collection
അംഭോജം - lotus
സ്ഫുട - opened; blossomed
ഉജ്ജ്വല - bright
ചംദ്രികാ - moonlight
ഗുരുതരഗുണഗ്രാമാഭോജസ്ഫുടോജ്ജ്വലചംദ്രികാ - like bright moonlight that opens the lotus of many great virtues (compound)
വിപുല - abundant; luxuriant
വിലസത് - spreading; shining
ലജ്ജാ - modesty; shame
വല്ലീ - creeper
വിതാനം - canopy; lattice; spread
കുഠാരികാ - small axe; hatchet
വിപുലവിലല്ലജ്ജാവല്ലീവിതാനകുഠാരികാ - like a hatchet that cuts down the luxuriant lattice of modesty (compound)
ജഠരഃ - belly; stomach
പിഠരീ - pit; cavity
ദുസ്പുരാ - hard to fill
ഇയം - this
കരോതി - makes; causes
വിഡംബനം - mockery; humiliation; parody

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
This hard-to-fill pit of the stomach makes a mockery: it is expert at cutting the knot of cherished pride, it shines like moonlight that makes virtues bloom, and it acts like an axe that fells even luxuriant modesty.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
Hunger is described as a ruthless teacher. When the ജഠര (belly) demands, the mind drops its social masks: pride loosens, shame fades, and even virtues can suddenly appear - not always because the heart became noble, but because survival forced simplicity. The verse is a warning about how quickly "principles" can change when we have not built inner strength. Seen through വിവേക (discernment), this is an invitation to let വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion) arise from understanding, not from bitterness.

We can see this around financial stress and insecurity: people who were polished become harsh; people who were generous become calculating; people who were modest become desperate for attention. It is also why we should be cautious about judging others: many compromises are made under the pressure of scarcity. Bhartruhari's point is to cultivate a life where basic needs are steady, so your ethics and dignity are not held hostage by circumstance. Sa~gkarAcArya's ഭ്ഹജ ഗോവിംദമ് returns to this point often: do not postpone inner clarity for outer arrangements; convert insight into a small daily discipline.

Practice: build one layer of steadiness - a small savings buffer, a simpler diet, or a lower-cost lifestyle - so that panic does not drive choices. At the same time, keep compassion alive: support അന്ന-ദാന (food-giving) and speak respectfully to those who serve you. Let hunger teach humility, not bitterness.

പുണ്യേ ഗ്രാമേ വനേ വാ മഹതി സിതപടച്ഛന്നപാലീ കപാലിം
ഹ്യാദായ ന്യായഗര്ഭദ്വിജഹുതഹുതഭുഗ്ധൂമധൂമ്രോപകംഠേ ।
ദ്വാരം ദ്വാരം പ്രവിഷ്ടോ വരം ഉദരദരീപൂരണായ ക്ഷുധാര്തോ
മാനീ പ്രാണൈഃ സനാഥോ ന പുനരനുദിനം തുല്യകുല്യേസു ദീനഃ ॥ 3.23 ॥

ഛംദഃ (സ്രഗ്ധരാ): This is in സ്രഗ്ധരാ (സമ-വൃത്ത) Chandas/Meter: 4 പാദാഃ, 21 അക്ഷരാഃ per പാദ; ലഘു/ഗുരു pattern (per പാദ) is `GGGGLGG LLLLLLG GLGGLGG`; യതി (pause) is after the 7th and 14th syllables in each പാദ.

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
പുണ്യേ - in a holy place
ഗ്രാമേ - in a village
വനേ - in a forest
വാ - or
മഹതി - vast; great
സിത - white
പടഃ - cloth
ച്ഛന്ന - covered
പാലീ - covering/wrapper (as written)
കപാലിം - a beggar's bowl
ആദായ - taking (in hand)
ന്യായ - proper rite; rule
ഗര്ഭഃ - filled with; containing
ദ്വിജഃ - Brahmin
ഹുതം - offering; sacrifice
ഹുതഭുഗ് - fire ("eater" of offerings)
ധൂമ - smoke
ധൂമ്ര - smoke-grey
ഉപകംഠേ - on the outskirts
ദ്വാരം ദ്വാരം - door to door
പ്രവിഷ്ടഃ - having entered
വരം - better
ഉദരം - belly
ദരീ - cave; hollow
പൂരണായ - for filling
ക്ഷുധാര്തഃ - afflicted by hunger
മാനീ - self-respecting
പ്രാണൈഃ - with (only) one's life-breath
സനാഥഃ - supported; having refuge
ന പുനര് - not again
അനുദിനം - day after day
തുല്യ - equal; peer
കുല്യേശു - among kinsmen/companions (as written)
ദീനഃ - wretched; humbled

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
Better, when hungry, to take the begging bowl covered with a white cloth and go door to door in a holy village or in a great forest whose outskirts are grey with sacrificial smoke, simply to fill the cave of the belly - than to be day after day a miserable dependent among one's peers and kinsmen.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse draws a sharp line between simple need and corrosive dependence. A renunciant's alms are asked openly, with minimal expectation, and without entanglement; but dependence among peers often comes with silent bargaining, shame, and resentment. Bhartruhari is saying: do not live in a way that turns everyday relationships into a place of hidden begging. Seen through വിവേക (discernment), this is an invitation to let വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion) arise from understanding, not from bitterness.

In contemporary life, this could mean refusing to build a lifestyle that requires constant favors: repeated borrowing, leaning on connections to escape consequences, or staying in unhealthy arrangements because "someone will handle it." Paradoxically, taking up humble honest work - even if it feels socially "lower" - often preserves more dignity than living on subtle manipulation. This is a practical face of വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion): choosing freedom over appearance.

Practice: identify one dependency that makes you lose self-respect - financial, emotional, or social. Replace it with one concrete step toward self-reliance: a new income skill, a boundary, or a simpler budget. Keep gratitude for anyone who helps you, but do not build your identity on being carried.

ഗംഗാതരംഗകണശീകരശീതലാനി
വിദ്യാധരാധ്യുഷിതചാരുശിലാതലാനി ।
സ്ഥാനാനി കിം ഹിമവതഃ പ്രലയം ഗതാനി
യത്സാവമാനപരപിംഡരതാ മനുഷ്യാഃ ॥ 3.24 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ഗംഗാ - the river Ganga
തരംഗഃ - wave
കണഃ - drop; particle
ശീകരഃ - spray; fine mist
ശീതലാനി - cool; soothing (n. pl.)
വിദ്യാധര - celestial being (a class of beings)
അധ്യുഷിത - inhabited by
ചാരു - beautiful
ശിലാതലാനി - rocky plateaus
സ്ഥാനാനി - places; haunts
കിമ് - whether?
ഹിമവതഃ - of the Himalaya
പ്രലയം - dissolution; destruction
ഗതാനി - gone; perished
യത് - because
സാവമാന - with contempt; with insult
പര - another's
പിംഡഃ - morsel; food
രതാഃ - attached to; delighting in
മനുഷ്യാഃ - people

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
Have the cool Himalayan retreats - chilled by the Ganga's spray and graced by lovely rock-ledges - vanished into destruction, that people choose to live on others' morsels even while accepting insult?

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse uses exaggeration as a mirror: nature has not disappeared, but our imagination of "comfort" makes us forget simple sufficiency. Instead of seeking a clean, simple life, people accept humiliation for food - flattering the powerful, tolerating abuse, and surrendering freedom. Bhartruhari is asking: if the world offers even a little independence, why trade it for contempt? Seen through വിവേക (discernment), this is an invitation to let വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion) arise from understanding, not from bitterness.

In current terms, this can look like enduring a degrading workplace only to fund status consumption, or staying trapped in a social circle where you must constantly perform for access. The verse is not prescribing that everyone must run to the Himalayas; it is pointing to an inner Himalaya: the ability to live with less so your dignity is not for sale. When desires are reduced, choices expand. Sa~gkarAcArya's ഭ്ഹജ ഗോവിംദമ് returns to this point often: do not postpone inner clarity for outer arrangements; convert insight into a small daily discipline.

Practice: reduce one status-driven expense and redirect that energy to a life-giving alternative - health, learning, time in nature, or service. Notice how quickly self-respect returns when you stop buying approval. Cultivate അപരിഗ്രഹ (non-hoarding) as a practical way to protect your freedom.

കിം കംദാഃ കംദരേഭ്യഃ പ്രലയം ഉപഗതാ നിര്ഝരാ വാ ഗിരിഭ്യഃ
പ്രധ്വസ്താ വാ തരുഭ്യഃ സരസഗലഭൃതോ വല്കലിന്യശ്ച ശാഖാഃ ।
വീക്ഷ്യംതേ യന്മുഖാനി പ്രസഭം അപഗതപ്രശ്രയാണാം ഖലാനാം
ദുഃഖാപ്തസ്വല്പവിത്തസ്മയപവനവശാനര്തിതഭ്രൂലതാനി ॥ 3.25 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
കിമ് - have/has (it happened that...?)
കംദാഃ - roots; tubers
കംദരേഭ്യഃ - from caves
പ്രലയം ഉപഗതാഃ - perished; gone to destruction
നിര്ഝരാഃ - streams; waterfalls
ഗിരിഭ്യഃ - from mountains
പ്രധ്വസ്താഃ - destroyed
തരുഭ്യഃ - from trees
സരസഗലഭൃതഃ - bearing juicy fruits (compound as written)
വല്കലിന്യഃ - having bark (as clothing/cover)
ശാഖാഃ - branches
വീക്ഷ്യംതേ - (they) look at; see
യത് - because; since
മുഖാനി - faces
പ്രസഭം - forcibly; against one's will
അപഗത - gone; lost
പ്രശ്രയഃ - humility; courtesy
ഖലാഃ - rogues; low people
ദുഃഖാപ്ത - obtained with difficulty
സ്വല്പ - little
വിത്തം - wealth
സ്മയഃ - pride; arrogance
പവനഃ - wind
വശഃ - under the control (of)
നര്തിത - made to dance
ഭ്രൂ - eyebrow
ലതാനി - creepers (metaphor)

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
Have cave-roots vanished, have mountain streams dried up, or have trees with juicy fruits and bark-bearing branches been destroyed - that people must, against their will, look upon the faces of insolent rogues who have lost all courtesy, their eyebrow-creepers dancing under the wind of pride from hard-won little wealth?

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse mocks the arrogance of small success. A little money earned with difficulty can intoxicate the insecure mind, producing സ്മയ (pride) and cruelty. Bhartruhari's sting is that such people are not powerful in any real sense; they are simply loud - and dependence forces others to endure their faces. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

We meet this "petty power" today in many forms: a minor promotion turning into harshness, a gatekeeper mentality in bureaucracy, or someone who finally gets a little leverage and uses it to humiliate others. The verse again points to the same remedy: reduce dependence and cultivate inner dignity. It also reminds us to watch our own behavior when we get small wins - do we become more humble, or more arrogant? This is the അനിത്യതാ (impermanence) reflection that Sa~gkarAcArya uses to awaken വൈരാഗ്യ: seeing change clearly, we stop demanding permanent comfort from it.

Practice: choose one concrete step that reduces your need to appease arrogant people - diversify income, build savings, or set boundaries with a toxic authority. And in your own sphere, treat those with less power with respect. Let മാന (self-respect) express itself as courtesy, not contempt.

പുണ്യൈര്മൂലഫലൈസ്തഥാ പ്രണയിനീം വൃത്തിം കുരുഷ്വാധുനാ
ഭൂശയ്യാം നവപല്ലവൈരകൃപണൈരുത്തിഷ്ഠ യാവോ വനമ് ।
ക്ഷുദ്രാണാം അവിവേകമൂഢമനസാം യത്രേശ്വരാണാം സദാ
വിത്തവ്യാധിവികാരവിഹ്വലഗിരാം നാമാപി ന ശ്രൂയതേ ॥ 3.26 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
പുണ്യൈഃ - with sacred; auspicious
മൂല - roots
ഫ്ഹലൈര് - with fruits (in verse: പലൈസ്തഥാ)
തഥാ - and thus
പ്രണയിനീം - loving; dear (f.)
വൃത്തിം - livelihood; mode of living
കുരുഷ്വ - do; adopt
അധുനാ - now
ഭൂ - earth
ശയ്യാം - bed
നവ - fresh; new
പല്ലവൈഃ - with tender leaves
അകൃപണൈഃ - not miserly; not mean
ഉത്തിഷ്ഠ - rise up
യാവോ - let us go
വനം - to the forest
ക്ഷുദ്രാണാം - of petty people
അവിവേക - lack of discernment
മൂഢ - deluded
മനസാം - minds
യത്ര - where
ഈശ്വരാണാം - of the powerful/wealthy
സദാ - always
വിത്ത - wealth
വ്യാധി - disease
വികാര - disturbance; disorder
വിഹ്വല - agitated; distressed
ഗിരാം - speech; talk
നാമ - name
അപി - even
ന ശ്രൂയതേ - is not heard

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
Now make your livelihood lovingly with sacred roots and fruits, make the earth your bed with fresh tender leaves, and rise - let us go to the forest, where the very names of petty people with deluded minds, who forever chatter anxiously about wealth and power, are not even heard.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
Here renunciation is described as a change of environment and a change of attention. The "forest" stands for a life where basic needs are simple and the mind is not constantly stirred by the gossip of acquisition. Bhartruhari calls the obsessions of the wealthy a വിത്ത-വ്യാധി (disease of wealth): even after gaining, the mind remains agitated by fear, comparison, and maintenance. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

Most people do not move to literal forests, but the same medicine is available: reduce exposure to endless financial noise and status talk. If your mind is fed all day with "who has what" and "what could go wrong", your inner peace will be permanently taxed. Advaita texts repeatedly point out that freedom is not produced by possessions; it is revealed when attachment loosens and attention returns inward. The GItA frames this steadiness as സമത്വ (even-mindedness): action continues, but the inner demand for guaranteed outcomes is relaxed.

Practice: create a small daily "forest" window - no news, no social comparison, no shopping. Eat simply, walk, study, and sit quietly. If you cannot change your outer life immediately, change your inputs and your pace. Over time, you will see that fewer wants create more space for clarity.

ഫലം സ്വേച്ഛാലഭ്യം പ്രതിവനം അഖേദം ക്ഷിതിരുഹാം
പയഃ സ്ഥാനേ സ്ഥാനേ ശിശിരമധുരം പുണ്യസരിതാമ് ।
മൃദുസ്പര്ശാ ശയ്യാ സുലലിതലതാപല്ലവമയീ
സഹംതേ സംതാപം തദപി ധനിനാം ദ്വാരി കൃപണാഃ ॥ 3.27 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ഫലം - fruit
സ്വ - one's own
ഇച്ഛാ - wish; desire
സ്വേച്ഛാലഭ്യം - obtainable at will
പ്രതിവനം - in every forest
അഖേദം - without trouble; effortlessly
ക്ഷിതിരുഹാം - of trees
പയഃ - water
സ്ഥാനേ സ്ഥാനേ - in every place
ശിശിര - cool
മധുരം - sweet
പുണ്യ - sacred; holy
സരിതാം - of rivers
മൃദു - soft
സ്പര്ശാ - to the touch
ശയ്യാ - bed
സു - very; well
ലലിത - tender; delicate
ലതാ - creeper
പല്ലവ - fresh leaves
മയീ - made of
സഹംതേ - endure
സംതാപം - heat; distress
തദ് അപി - even then
ധനിനാം - of the wealthy
ദ്വാരി - at the door
കൃപണാഃ - wretched; miserly-minded

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
Fruits can be had at will in every forest, cool sweet water is found everywhere from holy rivers, and a soft bed can be made from tender leafy creepers - and yet these wretched people still endure suffering at the doors of the rich.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse points out a strange tragedy: even when simple sustenance is available, the mind chases the glitter of wealth and ends up begging for access. The real poverty is not shortage of resources; it is shortage of contentment. When desire becomes comparison, the person forgets what is enough and accepts needless humiliation. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

This is visible in lifestyle inflation: basic needs are met, but standards keep rising because of social pressure. People then tolerate unreasonable conditions - at work, in relationships, in social circles - just to maintain a certain image. The verse is a reminder that freedom often begins by lowering the "required" level of comfort and recovering the joy of sufficiency. The GItA frames this steadiness as സമത്വ (even-mindedness): action continues, but the inner demand for guaranteed outcomes is relaxed.

Practice: run a deliberate experiment in sufficiency. For one week, choose simple food, fewer purchases, and less social display, and notice what happens to your mood. Use the saved time for rest, learning, or service. Each time you choose "enough", you strengthen വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion) and reduce the need to knock on the rich person's door.

യേ വര്തംതേ ധനപതിപുരഃ പ്രാര്ഥനാദുഃഖഭാജോ
യേ ചാല്പത്വം ദധതി വിഷയാക്ഷേപപര്യാപ്തബുദ്ധേഃ ।
തേഷാം അംതഃസ്ഫുരിതഹസിതം വാസരാണി സ്മരേയം
ധ്യാനച്ഛേദേ ശിഖരികുഹരഗ്രാവശയ്യാനിഷണ്ണഃ ॥ 3.28 ॥

ഛംദഃ (മംദാക്രാംതാ): This is in മംദാക്രാംതാ (സമ-വൃത്ത) Chandas/Meter: 4 പാദാഃ, 17 അക്ഷരാഃ per പാദ; ലഘു/ഗുരു pattern (per പാദ) is `GGGG LLLLLG GLGGLGG`; യതി (pause) is after the 4th and 10th syllables in each പാദ.

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
യേ - those who
വര്തംതേ - live; exist
ധന - wealth
പതി - lord; master
പുരഃ - in front of
പ്രാര്ഥനാ - begging; request
ദുഃഖ - sorrow
ഭാജഃ - partakers; those who suffer
യേ - those who
ച - and
അല്പത്വം - meanness; littleness
ദധതി - assume; take on
വിഷയ - sense-objects
ആക്ഷേപഃ - distraction; throwing about
പര്യാപ്ത - satisfied; content with
ബുദ്ധേഃ - minds/understanding
തേഷാം - of them
അംതഃ - within
സ്ഫുരിത - arising; flashing
ഹസിതം - laughter; smile
വാസരാണി - days
സ്മരേയം - may I remember
ധ്യാന - meditation
ച്ഛേദഃ - break; pause
ശിഖരി - mountain peak
കുഹരഃ - cave
ഗ്രാവ - stone
ശയ്യാ - bed
നിഷണ്ണഃ - seated; resting

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
May I remember, with an inward smile, the days of those who suffer begging before the wealthy, and of those who embrace meanness with minds content only with sensory distraction, while I lie on a stone-bed in a mountain cave during pauses in meditation.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse captures a quiet joy that comes after stepping away from the race. When you are no longer chasing approval or distraction, the old compulsions look almost comic - not because others are "bad", but because you see how the mind once ran after things that never truly satisfied. That inward smile is a sign of freedom: you are no longer hypnotized by what hypnotizes the crowd. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

Many people experience a smaller version of this after a retreat, a period of solitude, or a serious life event: you look back at the anxiety over status, the endless bargaining with bosses or audiences, and you realize how much energy was spent to protect an image. Krishnamurti often points out that living in images is bondage; when the image drops, there is simplicity. This verse encourages that drop. The GItA frames this steadiness as സമത്വ (even-mindedness): action continues, but the inner demand for guaranteed outcomes is relaxed.

Practice: take one deliberate pause each day that is free from performance - no posting, no checking, no proving. Sit quietly and observe the mind's urge to "be someone". Over weeks, you will naturally begin to smile at old patterns, and that gentle amusement becomes a stable form of വൈരാഗ്യ.

യേ സംതോഷനിരംതരപ്രമുദിതസ്തേഷാം ന ഭിന്നാ മുദോ
യേ ത്വന്യേ ധനലുബ്ധസംകലധിയസ്തേസാം ന തൃഷ്ണാഹതാ ।
ഇത്ഥം കസ്യ കൃതേ കുതഃ സ വിധിനാ കീദൃക്പദം സംപദാം
സ്വാത്മന്യേവ സമാപ്തഹേമമഹിമാ മേരുര്ന മേ രോചതേ ॥ 3.29 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
യേ - those who
സംതോഷ - contentment
നിരംതര - uninterrupted; continual
പ്രമുദിതഃ - joyful
തേഷാം - of them
ന - not
ഭ്ഹിന്നാ - broken; interrupted
മുദാ - joy
യേ - those who
തു - but
അന്യേ - others
ധന - wealth
ലുബ്ധഃ - greedy
സംകല - confused; mixed up
ധിയഃ - minds/understanding
തേഷാം - of them
ന - not
തൃഷ്ണാ - craving
ഹതാ - destroyed; killed
ഇത്ഥം - thus
കസ്യ - for whom?
കൃതേ - for the sake of
കുതഃ - why? whence?
സഃ - that
വിധിനാ - by the Creator
കീദൃക് - what kind of?
പദം - state; position
സംപദാം - of riches; wealth
സ്വാത്മനി - in itself
ഏവ - indeed
സമാപ്ത - complete; ending in
ഹേമ - gold
മഹിമാ - glory
മേരുഃ - Mount Meru
ന - not
മേ - to me
രോചതേ - pleases; appeals

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
Those whose joy is continually rooted in contentment never have their happiness broken; but those greedy for wealth, with confused minds, never have their craving destroyed. So why did the Creator fashion the mountain Meru, whose golden glory is complete in itself? It does not attract me.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse contrasts two inner states: സംതോഷ (contentment) produces stable joy, while greed produces endless thirst. Even if a "Meru" of riches exists, it cannot help a mind trained to want more. Bhartruhari is not denying the usefulness of wealth; he is rejecting the fantasy that wealth can finish the heart's restlessness. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

This is the modern "hedonic treadmill": income rises, expenses rise, and satisfaction remains flat. Schopenhauer's critique of desire applies here: the will chases, briefly rests, and then suffers again. When the craving mechanism is not addressed, even a mountain of gold becomes a new source of anxiety and comparison. Contentment, by contrast, is a skill - a way of relating to life. This is the അനിത്യതാ (impermanence) reflection that Sa~gkarAcArya uses to awaken വൈരാഗ്യ: seeing change clearly, we stop demanding permanent comfort from it.

Practice: define "enough" for one category (income, possessions, recognition) and set a cap. Each month, redirect one portion of surplus to ദാന (generosity) or to experiences that deepen you rather than inflate you. Train the mind to enjoy simplicity; then even without Meru, you will feel rich.

ഭിക്ഷാഹാരം അദൈന്യം അപ്രതിസുഖം ഭീതിച്ഛിദം സർവതോ
ദുര്മാത്സര്യമദാഭിമാനമഥനം ദുഃഖൌഘവിധ്വംസനമ് ।
സർവത്രാന്വഹം അപ്രയത്നസുലഭം സാധുപ്രിയം പാവനം
ശംഭോഃ സത്രം അവായം അക്ഷയനിധിം ശംസംതി യോഗീശ്വരാഃ ॥ 3.30 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ഭിക്ഷാ - alms; begging (as a discipline)
ആഹാരഃ - food; sustenance
അദൈന്യം - without wretchedness; not degrading
അ - not
പ്രതി - dependent (on)
സുഖം - joy
അപ്രതിസുഖം - joy that is not dependent on others' favor
ഭീതിച്ഛിദ് - fear-destroying
സർവതഃ - from all sides; altogether
ദുര്മാത്സര്യ - wicked envy
മദഃ - intoxication; arrogance
അഭിമാനഃ - pride; self-conceit
മഥനം - churning; crushing; destroying
ദുഃഖ - sorrow
ഓഘഃ - flood; stream
വിധ്വംസനം - destruction
സർവത്ര - everywhere
അന്വഹം - day by day; always
അപ്രയത്ന - without great effort
സുലഭം - easily obtainable
സാധു - holy person; good person
പ്രിയം - dear; beloved
പാവനം - purifying
ശംഭോഃ - of Shiva
സത്രം - feeding hall; charity kitchen
അയം - this (in verse: അവായം)
അക്ഷയ - inexhaustible
നിധിഃ - treasure
ശംസംതി - praise; describe
യോഗീശ്വരാഃ - great yogis

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
Food obtained as alms is not degrading; it gives a joy that does not depend on pleasing others, and it is free from fear. It crushes envy, arrogance, and pride, destroys the flood of suffering, is available everywhere day after day with little effort, dear to the holy and purifying. The perfected yogis praise it as Shiva's inexhaustible charity kitchen, always accessible.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
This verse re-frames alms as a discipline rather than a humiliation. When taken in the right spirit, ഭിക്ഷാ breaks ego - envy, pride, and the subtle belief that "I must control everything." It also removes fear, because the person learns to live with fewer demands. Calling it Shiva's സത്ര (feeding hall) suggests a sacred trust: the world provides enough for the one who is simple.

For householders, the inner lesson is larger than literal begging. Any time you reduce dependency on approval, you gain fearlessness: you can speak honestly, you can walk away from manipulative systems, and you can live within your means. The verse also quietly urges compassion: if alms are sacred, then feeding others and supporting those in transition is a form of worship. Sa~gkarAcArya's ഭ്ഹജ ഗോവിംദമ് returns to this point often: do not postpone inner clarity for outer arrangements; convert insight into a small daily discipline.

Practice: keep one "simple day" each week: eat plain food, spend minimally, and reduce entertainment. Use the saved time or money for സേവ (service) - feeding someone, donating, or volunteering. This trains the mind to find joy in simplicity and gives you the confidence that life can be lived without constant bargaining.

ഭോഗേ രോഗഭയം കുലേ ച്യുതിഭയം വിത്തേ നൃപാലാദ്ഭയം
മാനേ ദൈന്യഭയം ബലേ രിപുഭയം രൂപേ ജരായാ ഭയമ് ।
ശാസ്ത്രേ വാദിഭയം ഗുണേ ഖലഭയം കായേ കൃതാംതാദ്ഭയം
സർവം വസ്തു ഭയാന്വിതം ഭുവി നൃണാം വൈരാഗ്യമേവാഭയമ് ॥ 3.31 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ഭോഗഃ - enjoyment; sense-pleasure (in verse: ഭോഗേ = "in enjoyment")
രോഗഃ - disease
ഭയം - fear
കുലം - family; lineage (in verse: കുലേ)
ച്യുതിഃ - fall; loss of status
വിത്തം - wealth; money (in verse: വിത്തേ)
നൃപാലഃ - ruler; king (in verse: നൃപാലാത്)
മാനഃ - honor; esteem (in verse: മാനേ)
ദൈന്യം - humiliation; wretchedness
ബലം - strength; power (in verse: ബലേ)
രിപുഃ - enemy (in verse: രിപു)
രൂപം - beauty; appearance (in verse: രൂപേ)
ജരാ - old age; decay
ശാസ്ത്രം - learning; scripture (in verse: ശാസ്ത്രേ)
വാദീ - disputant; challenger
ഗുണഃ - virtue; good quality (in verse: ഗുണേ)
ഖ്ഹലഃ - wicked person; scoundrel
കായഃ - body (in verse: കായേ)
കൃതാംതഃ - death; the "end" (in verse: കൃതാംതാത്)
സർവം - all; everything
വസ്തു - thing; object
ഭയാന്വിതം - pervaded by fear
ഭുവി - on earth
നൃണാം - of humans
വൈരാഗ്യം - dispassion; non-clinging
ഏവ - alone
അഭയം - fearlessness

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
In pleasure there is fear of illness; in family, fear of decline; in wealth, fear of rulers; in honor, fear of humiliation; in strength, fear of enemies; in beauty, fear of old age; in learning, fear of challengers; in virtue, fear of the wicked; in the body, fear of death. Everything people hold in the world is mixed with fear; only dispassion is without fear.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse makes a blunt psychological claim: fear is woven into attachment. Whatever you "have" can be lost; whatever you identify with can be threatened. The list is not pessimism for its own sake - it is meant to show that the mind cannot reach lasting safety by rearranging externals. When വൈരാഗ്യ (non-clinging) grows, fear reduces because there is less to defend and less to lose. Notice the chain Bhartruhari is pointing at: രാഗ (attachment) quietly breeds ഭയ (fear), because whatever you cling to becomes something you must protect; വൈരാഗ്യ breaks that chain.

This aligns neatly with an അദ്വൈത insight: ദ്വിതീയാദ്വൈ ഭയം ഭവതി - fear arises from "a second" (from duality, from seeing something as other-than-me). As long as we build our self on possessions, status, or roles, we must stay anxious. The movement toward inner freedom is the movement toward അഭയ (fearlessness), which the Upanishads praise as the nature of the Real.

Practice: list three recurring fears (health, money, reputation, relationships) and ask which attachment fuels each one. Reduce one attachment intentionally: simplify one possession, lower one status-demand, or loosen one compulsion to control outcomes. Pair that with a short daily meditation on what does not change - steady awareness itself. Fear loosens when the inner anchor becomes stronger than the outer circumstances.

ആക്രാംതം മരണേന ജന്മ ജരസാ ചാത്യുജ്ജ്വലം യൌവനം
സംതോഷോ ധനലിപ്സയാ ശമസുഖം പ്രൌഢാംഗനാവിഭ്രമൈഃ ।
ലോകൈര്മത്സരിഭിര്ഗുണാ വനഭുവോ വ്യാലൈര്നൃപാ ദുര്ജനൈര്
അസ്ഥൈര്യേണ വിഭൂതയോഽപ്യപഹതാ ഗ്രസ്തം ന കിം കേന വാ ॥ 3.32 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ആക്രാംതം - overrun; seized
മരണം - death (in verse: മരണേന = by death)
ജന്മ - birth
ജരാ - old age
അതി - very
ഉജ്ജ്വലം - bright; radiant
യൌവനം - youth
സംതോഷഃ - contentment
ധന - wealth
ലിപ്സാ - greedy longing
ശമ - calmness; peace
സുഖം - happiness
ശമസുഖം - the happiness of peace
പ്രൌഢാ - mature; full-grown
അംഗനാ - woman
വിഭ്രമൈഃ - by charms; by wiles
ലോകൈഃ - by people
മത്സരിഭിഃ - envious
ഗുണാഃ - virtues; good qualities
വന - forest
ഭുവഃ - tracts/lands
വ്യാലൈഃ - wild beasts; dangerous creatures
നൃപാഃ - kings; rulers
ദുര്ജനൈഃ - wicked people
അസ്ഥൈര്യേണ - by instability; by inconstancy
വിഭൂതയഃ - fortunes; prosperities
അപി - even
അപഹതാഃ - struck down; destroyed
ഗ്രസ്തം - swallowed; seized
ന കിം - what is not?
കേന വാ - by whom indeed?

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
Birth is seized by death, bright youth by old age; contentment by greed for wealth, and the happiness of peace by the charms of passion. Virtues are attacked by envy, forest-lands by beasts, kings by the wicked, and even prosperity by instability. What, then, is not afflicted by something or other?

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse dismantles the fantasy of a "safe" worldly arrangement. Every domain has its predator: health has illness, power has enemies, virtue has jealousy, wealth has calamity. The point is not to become paranoid; it is to stop building your identity on what is inherently vulnerable. When you see this clearly, dispassion becomes natural rather than forced. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

In daily life this shows up as the constant background hum of risk-management: protecting reputation, guarding assets, scanning for threats, keeping up appearances. None of this is wrong in moderation, but when it becomes the center of life it produces chronic tension. The verse is urging a shift from external security to inner stability - from constantly "fixing" life to understanding life. This is the അനിത്യതാ (impermanence) reflection that Sa~gkarAcArya uses to awaken വൈരാഗ്യ: seeing change clearly, we stop demanding permanent comfort from it.

Practice: simplify one fragile dependency. Reduce what you must protect: fewer commitments, fewer unnecessary possessions, fewer ego-roles. Use the freed energy to build inner steadiness through study and meditation. The more your peace depends on your own mind, the less you are shaken by the inevitable "predators" of circumstance.

ആധിവ്യാധിശതൈര്ജനസ്യ വിവിധൈരാരോഗ്യം ഉന്മൂല്യതേ
ലക്ഷ്മീര്യത്ര പതംതി തത്ര വിവൃതദ്വാരാ ഇവ വ്യാപദഃ ।
ജാതം ജാതം അവശ്യം ആശു വിവശം മൃത്യുഃ കരോത്യാത്മസാത്
തത്കിം തേന നിരംകുശേന വിധിനാ യന്നിര്മിതം സുസ്ഥിരമ് ॥ 3.33 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ആധി - mental affliction; worry
വ്യാധി - physical disease
ശതൈഃ - by hundreds
ജനസ്യ - of people
വിവിധൈഃ - of various kinds
ആരോഗ്യം - health
ഉന്മൂല്യതേ - is uprooted; destroyed
ലക്ഷ്മീഃ - fortune; wealth
യത്ര - where
പതംതി - falls; arrives
തത്ര - there
വിവൃത - opened
ദ്വാരാഃ - doors
ഇവ - like
വ്യാപദഃ - calamities; adversities
ജാതം ജാതം - whatever is born, again and again
അവശ്യം - certainly
ആശു - quickly
വിവശം - helpless
മൃത്യുഃ - death
കരോതി - makes
ആത്മസാത് - its own; "absorbs" into itself
തത്കിമ് - then what?
തേന - by that
നിരംകുശേന - uncontrolled; without a goad
വിധിനാ - by the Creator
യത് - what (that which)
നിര്മിതം - made; created
സുസ്ഥിരം - truly stable

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
Hundreds of varied ailments uproot people's health. Wherever fortune settles, misfortunes arrive as if through doors flung wide open. Whatever is born, death quickly makes helpless and claims again and again. What, then, has this uncontrolled Creator made that can be called truly stable?

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse presses the same point with sharper images. Wealth is not only unstable; it attracts new anxieties - protection, comparison, loss, and conflict. Health is fragile. And death is not negotiable. Bhartruhari calls the Creator നിരംകുശ (without a goad) to emphasize that the world is not designed to conform to our demand for permanence. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

This is why clinging hurts: we expect stability where the system offers change. Modern life adds new layers - insurance, forecasts, analytics - but the basic truth remains: nothing external is finally controllable. The verse does not ask you to become careless; it asks you to stop treating external management as the source of peace. That peace must come from a deeper ground. This is the അനിത്യതാ (impermanence) reflection that Sa~gkarAcArya uses to awaken വൈരാഗ്യ: seeing change clearly, we stop demanding permanent comfort from it.

Practice: keep your responsibilities, but loosen inner expectation. Do one short daily reflection: "What I can control is my action and attitude, not outcomes." Then invest in the stable: character, learning, and inner practice. When your center shifts, even illness or loss becomes less psychologically catastrophic.

ഭോഗാസ്തുംഗതരംഗഭംഗതരലാഃ പ്രാണാഃ ക്ഷണധ്വംസിനഃ
സ്തോകാന്യേവ ദിനാനി യൌവനസുഖം സ്ഫൂര്തിഃ പ്രിയാസു സ്ഥിതാ ।
തത്സംസാരം അസാരം ഏവ നിഖിലം ബുദ്ധ്വാ ബുധാ ബോധകാ
ലോകാനുഗ്രഹപേശലേന മനസാ യത്നഃ സമാധീയതാമ് ॥ 3.34 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ഭോഗാഃ - pleasures; enjoyments
തുംഗ - high
തരംഗഃ - wave
ഭ്ഹംഗഃ - breaking; crash
തരലാഃ - fickle; unstable
പ്രാണാഃ - life-breaths; life
ക്ഷണ - moment
ധ്വംസിനഃ - perishing; being destroyed
സ്തോകാനി - a few; small in number
ദിനാനി - days
യൌവന - youth
സുഖം - happiness/pleasure
സ്ഫൂര്തിഃ - thrill; zest
പ്രിയാസു - in beloveds
സ്ഥിതാ - situated; resting
തത്സംസാരം - that worldly life
അസാരം - without essence
ഏവ - indeed
നിഖിലം - entire; all
ബുദ്ധ്വാ - having understood
ബുധാഃ - wise people
ബോധകാഃ - teachers; awakeners
ലോക - people/world
അനുഗ്രഹഃ - welfare; compassion
പേശല - tender; gentle
മനസാ - with the mind
യത്നഃ - effort
സമാധീയതാം - should be applied/placed (toward സമാധി)

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
Pleasures are fickle like the crash of tall waves; life can be destroyed in a moment; the days of youthful happiness are few, and passion's thrill rests in the beloved. Knowing this whole cycle of worldly life to be without substance, let the wise teachers, with a mind softened by compassion for the world, strive for inner absorption.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
This verse is important because it refuses escapism. Bhartruhari sees impermanence clearly, but he does not turn it into cynicism; he turns it into സമാധി (inner steadiness) and ലോകാനുഗ്രഹ (care for others). When your own mind becomes stable, you naturally become more useful to the world: less reactive, less self-centered, more grounded.

In practical terms, the mind wastes enormous energy chasing waves: short-lived highs, short-lived relationships, short-lived thrills. That chase produces burnout and fragmentation. The verse suggests a better use of energy: invest in depth. Even a small daily contemplative practice produces a kind of stability that makes you kinder and more effective - at home, at work, and in service. This is the അനിത്യതാ (impermanence) reflection that Sa~gkarAcArya uses to awaken വൈരാഗ്യ: seeing change clearly, we stop demanding permanent comfort from it.

Practice: keep one fixed daily time for inner work - meditation, prayer, or study - even if it is brief. Pair it with one act of അനുകംപാ (compassion): help someone quietly, without display. The combination of inner depth and outer kindness is the verse's prescription for living wisely in an impermanent world.

ഭോഗാ മേഘവിതാനമധ്യവിലസത്സൌദാമിനീചംചലാ
ആയുർവായുവിഘട്ടിതാബ്ജപടലീലീനാംബുവദ്ഭംഗുരമ് ।
ലീലാ യൌവനലാലസാസ്തനുഭൃതാം ഇത്യാകലയ്യ ദ്രുതം
യോഗേ ധൈര്യസമാധിസിദ്ധിസുലഭേ ബുദ്ധിം വിദധ്വം ബുധാഃ ॥ 3.35 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ഭോഗാഃ - pleasures; enjoyments
മേഘ - cloud
വിതാനം - canopy
മധ്യേ - in the middle
വിലസത് - flashing; shining
സൌദാമിനീ - lightning
ചംചലാ - fickle; unsteady
ആയുഃ - lifespan
വായുഃ - wind
വിഘട്ടിത - shaken; struck
അബ്ജ - lotus
പടലീ - cluster; mass
ലീന - merged; settled
അംബു - water-drop
ഭംഗുരം - fragile; perishable
ലോലാ - wavering; fickle
യൌവന - youth
ലാലസാ - longing; craving
തനുഭൃതാം - of embodied beings
ഇതി - thus
ആകലയ്യ - having considered
ദ്രുതം - quickly
യോഗേ - in yoga; disciplined practice
ധൈര്യ - steadiness; courage
സമാധി - absorption
സിദ്ധി - attainment; success
സുലഭേ - easily obtainable
ബുദ്ധിം - mind; understanding
വിദധ്വം - place; establish
ബുധാഃ - wise ones

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
Pleasures are fickle like lightning flashing in cloud-canopies. Life is as fragile as a drop resting on a lotus petal, shaken by the wind. Youthful longings waver like a game. Seeing this clearly, wise people quickly steady the mind in disciplined practice that yields courage, inner absorption, and real attainment.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse is a call to urgency without panic. The images are meant to break procrastination: if life can change in a moment, then postponing inner work is foolish. Bhartruhari is not anti-joy; he is anti-delusion. Enjoy what is appropriate, but do not expect it to be stable, and do not delay the cultivation of what actually stabilizes the mind. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

Today this applies to how quickly conditions shift - health scares, job changes, relationship turns, even global events. Many people respond by doubling down on distraction. The verse recommends the opposite: build ധൈര്യ (steadiness) and സമാധി (collected attention) so you can meet change without being shattered by it.

Practice: commit to a small, non-negotiable daily discipline: 10 minutes of meditation, or 30 minutes of focused study, or a fixed prayer routine. Let the practice be simple and repeatable; intensity is less important than continuity. Over time, your mind becomes less lightning-like and more lamp-like.

ആയുഃ കല്ലോലലോലം കതിപയദിവസസ്ഥായിനീ യൌവനശ്രീഃ
അര്ഥാഃ സംകല്പകല്പാ ഘനസമയതഡിദ്വിഭ്രമാ ഭോഗപൂഗാഃ ।
കംഠാശ്ലേഷോപഗൂഢം തദപി ച ന ചിരം യത്പ്രിയാഭിഃ പ്രണീതം
ബ്രഹ്മണ്യാസക്തചിത്താ ഭവത ഭവഭയാംഭോധിപാരം തരീതുമ് ॥ 3.36 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ആയുഃ - lifespan; life
കല്ലോലഃ - wave
ലോലം - wavering; restless
കതിപയ - a few; some
ദിവസാഃ - days
സ്ഥായിനീ - lasting; staying
യൌവന - youth
ശ്രീഃ - splendor; prosperity
അര്ഥാഃ - wealth; possessions
സംകല്പഃ - thought; imagination
കല്പാഃ - like; comparable to
ഘന - dense; clouded
സമയഃ - time; season
തഡിത് - lightning
വിഭ്രമാഃ - fleeting displays; illusions (in verse: വിഭ്രമാ)
ഭോഗ - enjoyment
പൂഗാഃ - heaps; clusters
കംഠഃ - neck
ആശ്ലേഷഃ - embrace
ഉപഗൂഢം - closely hugged
തദ് അപി - even that
ന ചിരം - not long
യത് - which
പ്രിയാഭിഃ - by beloveds
പ്രണീതം - bestowed; brought about
ബ്രഹ്മണി - in the Absolute (in verse: ബ്രഹ്മണ്യ്)
ആസക്ത - attached; devoted
ചിത്താഃ - minds
ഭവത - become; be
ഭവ - worldly existence; becoming
ഭയ - fear
അംബോധിഃ - ocean
പാരം - farther shore
തരീതും - to cross

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
Life wavers like waves; the splendor of youth lasts only a few days. Wealth is as fleeting as a thought, and heaps of pleasures are like lightning in stormy seasons. Even a beloved's close embrace does not last long. So fix your mind on the Absolute, if you want to cross the ocean of fear that belongs to worldly existence.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
This verse is a complete argument in four lines: everything external is unstable, so place love and attention on what is stable. Bhartruhari is not saying "do not love"; he is saying "do not pretend the changing can give the unchanging." When affection, wealth, and pleasure are seen as temporary, the mind stops demanding eternity from them. Notice the chain Bhartruhari is pointing at: രാഗ (attachment) quietly breeds ഭയ (fear), because whatever you cling to becomes something you must protect; വൈരാഗ്യ breaks that chain.

Many modern anxieties come from the mismatch between expectation and reality: expecting permanent youth, permanent romance, permanent security. When life inevitably changes, the mind feels betrayed. The verse suggests a wiser strategy: let externals be enjoyed as gifts, and let the inner anchor be ഭ്രഹ്മ (the Absolute, pure consciousness). Then change is not a catastrophe; it is simply the nature of the world.

Practice: once a day, name one change you are resisting and consciously soften your grip. Replace one minute of worry with one minute of remembrance: "What is unchanging is awareness itself." If the mind keeps returning to demands, return it gently to steady practice. Dispassion is not dryness; it is the freedom to love without fear.

കൃച്ഛ്രേണാമേധ്യമധ്യേ നിയമിതതനുഭിഃ സ്ഥീയതേ ഗര്ഭവാസേ
കാംതാവിശ്ലേഷദുഃഖവ്യതികരവിഷമോ യൌവനേ ചോപഭോഗഃ ।
വാമാക്ഷീണാം അവജ്ഞാവിഹസിതവസതിർവൃദ്ധഭാവോഽന്യസാധുഃ
സംസാരേ രേ മനുഷ്യാ വദത യദി സുഖം സ്വല്പം അപ്യസ്തി കിംചിഥ് ॥ 3.37 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
കൃച്ഛ്രേണ - with difficulty; painfully
അമേധ്യ - impure; filthy
മധ്യേ - in the midst
നിയമിത - restrained; confined
തനുഭിഃ - with the body/limbs
സ്ഥീയതേ - one stays; one is made to remain
ഗര്ഭവാസഃ - dwelling in the womb
കാംതാ - beloved
വിശ്ലേഷഃ - separation
ദുഃഖം - sorrow
വ്യതികരഃ - mixture; interweaving
വിഷമഃ - painful; harsh
യൌവനേ - in youth
ച - and
ഉപഭോഗഃ - enjoyment
വാമാക്ഷീണാം - of beautiful-eyed women
അവജ്ഞാ - contempt
വിഹസിത - laughed at
വസതിഃ - dwelling; state
വൃദ്ധഭവഃ - old age
അന്യ - otherwise; further
അസാധുഃ - not good; unpleasant
സംസാരേ - in worldly life
രേ - O!
മനുഷ്യാഃ - people
വദത - tell (me)
യദി - whether/if
സുഖം - happiness
സ്വല്പം അപി - even a little
അസ്തി - exists
കിംചിത് - any

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
In the womb one stays confined in filth and discomfort; in youth even enjoyment is bitter, tangled with the pain of separation from the beloved; in old age one lives amid contempt and laughter. O people, tell me - in such worldly life, does even a little real happiness exist?

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse forces a question we usually avoid: if we look honestly, where is the stable happiness in this cycle? Every stage has its shadow. Bhartruhari is not denying that pleasant moments exist; he is denying that they can be relied upon as the foundation of life. The purpose of this stark inventory is to redirect the seeker toward a deeper joy that does not depend on conditions. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

In modern terms, we can translate the stages: early life has constraint and dependence; adulthood has anxiety, ambition, and relational turbulence; later life has decline and social invisibility. If the mind tries to extract lasting fulfillment from these changing frames, it will keep oscillating between hope and disappointment. The verse invites a more mature relationship with pleasure - appreciation without dependence. The GItA frames this steadiness as സമത്വ (even-mindedness): action continues, but the inner demand for guaranteed outcomes is relaxed.

Practice: stop postponing inner depth to a "later" time. Begin now with small daily contemplations and one stabilizing habit (meditation, prayer, service). Let pleasures come and go, but let your identity shift toward what is steady: awareness, character, and truth. When the center changes, life stages lose their power to define your happiness.

വ്യാഘ്രീവ തിഷ്ഠതി ജരാ പരിതര്ജയംതീ
രോഗാശ്ച ശത്രവ ഇവ പ്രഹരംതി ദേഹമ് ।
ആയുഃ പരിസ്രവംതി ഭിന്നഘടാദിവാംഭോ
ലോകസ്തഥാപ്യഹിതം ആചരതീതി ചിത്രമ് ॥ 3.38 ॥

ഛംദഃ (മാത്രാ-ചംദസ്): This is in a മാത്രാ-based Chandas/Meter (not a fixed അക്ഷര-count വൃത്ത): in this verse, the written segments carry approximately 18 + 17 + 18 + 18 മാത്രാഃ (total 71); treat ലഘു=1 മാത്രാ and ഗുരു=2 മാത്രാഃ, and keep the natural pauses at the segment ends marked by `।`/`॥` (do not confuse ദംഡ with internal യതി).

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
വ്യാഘ്രീ - tigress
ഇവ - like
തിഷ്ഠതി - stands
ജരാ - old age
പരിതര്ജയംതീ - threatening; terrifying
രോഗാഃ - diseases
ച - and
ശത്രവഃ - enemies
ഇവ - like
പ്രഹരംതി - strike; attack
ദേഹം - the body
ആയുഃ - life-span
പരിസ്രവംതി - leaks away; flows out
ഭിന്ന - broken; cracked
ഘടാ - pot
അദി - like, etc. (in verse: ഘടാദിവ)
അംഭോ - water
ലോകഃ - the world/people
തഥാപി - even so
അഹിതം - harmful; not beneficial
ആചരതി - practices; does
ഇതി - thus
ചിത്രം - strange; wonder

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
Old age stands like a tigress, threatening; diseases attack the body like enemies; the life-span leaks away like water from a cracked pot. Yet people still act in ways that harm them - how strange.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse is astonished at human self-sabotage. With decline and death so obvious, why do we keep choosing what increases suffering - greed, addiction, cruelty, and distraction? The images are meant to wake up പ്രമാദ (carelessness): old age and illness are not theoretical; they are already approaching, and life is already leaking. Seen through വിവേക (discernment), this is an invitation to let വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion) arise from understanding, not from bitterness.

We see the same contradiction today: people know what harms them - lack of sleep, constant anger, compulsive consumption - and still repeat it. Krishnamurti would say that we live mechanically, driven by habit and image, not by understanding. Bhartruhari's "citraM" (how strange) is a nudge to break the spell of routine. This is the അനിത്യതാ (impermanence) reflection that Sa~gkarAcArya uses to awaken വൈരാഗ്യ: seeing change clearly, we stop demanding permanent comfort from it.

Practice: pick one harmful pattern you already recognize and replace it with one nourishing pattern that is equally easy to do. If scrolling is easy, make reading easy. If late-night snacking is easy, make a walk easy. The mind changes when the alternative becomes practical. This is not moralism; it is intelligent self-care in the face of time.

ഭോഗാ ഭംഗുരവൃത്തയോ ബഹുവിധാസ്തൈരേവ ചായം ഭവസ്തത്
കസ്യേഹ കൃതേ പരിഭ്രമത രേ ലോകാഃ കൃതം ചേഷ്ടതൈഃ ।
ആശാപാശശതാപശാംതിവിശദം ചേതഃസമാധീയതാം
കാമോത്പത്തിവശാത്സ്വധാമനി യദി ശ്രദ്ദേയം അസ്മദ്വചഃ ॥ 3.39 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ഭോഗാഃ - pleasures; enjoyments
ഭംഗുര - fragile; perishing
വൃത്തയഃ - forms; patterns; ways
ബഹുവിധാഃ - of many kinds
തൈഃ ഏവ - by them alone
ച - and
അയം - this
ഭവഃ - worldly existence; becoming
തത് - thus
കസ്യ - for whose sake? for what purpose?
ഇഹ - here
കൃതേ - for the sake of
പരിഭ്രമത - do you wander about
രേ - O!
ലോകാഃ - people
ചേഷ്ടിതൈഃ - by efforts; by exertions
ആശാ - hope
പാശഃ - noose; rope
ശത - hundred
ആപാശ - (as in verse) nooses (compound)
ശാംതി - pacification; calming
വിശദം - clear; bright
ചേതഃ - mind
സമാധീയതാം - let it be placed/collected (into സമാധി)
കാമ - desire
ഉത്പത്തിഃ - arising
വശാത് - by force of; due to
സ്വധാമനി - in one's own true abode (the Supreme)
യദി - if
ശ്രദ്ദേയം - worthy of trust
അസ്മത് - our
വചഃ - words

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
This worldly life is made only of many kinds of fragile pleasures. For whose sake, and to what end, do you keep roaming here in constant exertion? Let the mind be gathered into clear absorption by quieting the hundred nooses of hope that arise from desire - if my words are worth trusting.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse diagnoses the engine of restlessness: ആശാ (hope/expectation) multiplied into hundreds of ropes, each tied to a desire. The mind runs not because life demands it, but because hope keeps promising a future completion. Bhartruhari's remedy is not pessimism; it is ചിത്ത-സമാധി - the mind becoming collected, clear, and present.

This lands directly on modern overwork and over-stimulation. Many people are exhausted not by necessity but by mental roaming: one more goal, one more upgrade, one more recognition. When hope becomes addiction, life becomes a treadmill. The verse suggests a radical move: stop roaming and return to your "own abode" - the inner ground of awareness, where the mind can finally rest. The GItA frames this steadiness as സമത്വ (even-mindedness): action continues, but the inner demand for guaranteed outcomes is relaxed.

Practice: write down the top five hopes driving your week (approval, money, control, pleasure, recognition). For one day, pause each time one of these hopes pulls you, and do one breath of awareness before acting. Then choose either a necessary action or a deliberate renunciation. Over time, those hundred ropes become thinner, and the mind becomes visibly clearer.

സഖേ ധന്യാഃ കേചിത്ത്രുടിതഭവബംധവ്യതികരാ
വനാംതേ ചിത്താംതർവിഷം അവിഷയാശീത്വിഷഗതാഃ ।
ശരച്ചംദ്രജ്യോത്സ്നാധവലഗഗനാഭോഗസുഭഗാം
നയംതേ യേ രാത്രിം സുകൃതചയചിംതൈകശരണാഃ ॥ 3.39.1 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
സഖേ - O friend
ധന്യാഃ - blessed; fortunate
കേചിത് - some
ത്രുടിത - broken; snapped
ഭവ - worldly existence; becoming
ബംധഃ - bondage
വ്യതികരഃ - entanglement; tangle (in verse: വ്യതികരാ)
വനാംതേ - in the depths of the forest
ചിത്ത - mind
അംതര - within
വിഷം - poison (inner poison of agitation)
അവിഷയ - without sense-objects; non-object
ആശീത് - cooled; became cold (in verse compound)
വിഷ - poison
ഗാതാഃ - gone/attained (as written: ഗതാഃ)
ശരത് - autumn
ചംദ്ര - moon
ജ്യോത്സ്നാ - moonlight
ധവല - white; pure
ഗഗന - sky
ആഭോഗഃ - expanse
സുഭഗാം - beautiful; auspicious
നയംതേ - spend; lead
യേ - those who
രാത്രിം - the night
സുകൃത - merit; good deeds
ചയഃ - accumulation; store
ചിംതാ - contemplation
ഏക - only
ശരണാഃ - refuge; shelter

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
O friend, blessed are those few who have snapped the tangle of worldly bondage. In the forest they reach an objectless coolness that pacifies the mind's inner poison; under the beautiful expanse of an autumn-moonlit sky, they pass the night taking refuge only in contemplation of their store of virtue.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
This verse celebrates the quiet happiness of solitude after detachment. The "inner poison" is the agitation of craving, comparison, and resentment; when sense-objects stop dominating attention, that poison cools. The autumn moonlight image suggests clarity: the mind becomes spacious, luminous, and simple - not because life became perfect, but because the mind stopped being pulled in a hundred directions. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

For many people today, the forest is symbolic: a space without constant inputs. When notifications stop, when entertainment is absent, when you are alone with your mind, you begin to see the toxins you were avoiding. Those few "blessed" ones are not special by birth; they are special by choice - they choose depth over distraction. The GItA frames this steadiness as സമത്വ (even-mindedness): action continues, but the inner demand for guaranteed outcomes is relaxed.

Practice: create a small "forest night" once a week. Turn off screens, go for a quiet walk, look at the sky, and let the mind settle. Use the time for സ്വാധ്യായ (self-study) and for remembering your own good intentions. Slowly, the inner poison cools, and clarity becomes your natural refuge.

ബ്രഹ്മേംദ്രാദിമരുദ്ഗണാംസ്തൃണകണാന്യത്ര സ്ഥിതോ മന്യതേ
യത്സ്വാദാദ്വിരസാ ഭവംതി വിഭവാസ്ത്രൈലോക്യരാജ്യാദയഃ ।
ഭോഗഃ കോഽപി സ ഏവ ഏക പരമോ നിത്യോദിതോ ജൃംഭതേ
ഭോഃ സാധോ ക്ഷണഭംഗുരേ തദിതരേ ഭോഗേ രതിം മാ കൃഥാഃ ॥ 3.40 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ബ്രഹ്മ - Brahma
ഇംദ്ര - Indra
ആദി - etc.
മരുത് - Maruts (a class of gods)
ഗണാഃ - groups/hosts
തൃണ - grass
കണാനി - particles; blades
അത്ര - here (in that state)
സ്ഥിതഹ് - one who is established (in verse: സ്ഥിതോ)
മന്യതേ - considers
യത് - whose
സ്വാദഃ - taste; relish
വിരസാഃ - tasteless
ഭവംതി - become
വിഭവാഃ - riches; powers
ത്രൈലോക്യ - the three worlds
രാജ്യം - sovereignty; kingdom
ആദയഃ - and the like
ഭോഗഃ - enjoyment
കോഽപി - some unique; a certain
സഃ ഏവ - that alone
ഏകഃ - one
പരമഃ - supreme
നിത്യ - eternal
ഉദിതഃ - risen; shining
ജൃംഭതേ - blossoms; expands
ഭോഃ - O!
സാധോ - O good one; seeker
ക്ഷണ - moment
ഭംഗുര - perishing; brittle
തദിതര - other than that
ഭോഗഃ - pleasure
രതിഃ - attachment; delight
മാ കൃഥാഃ - do not do; do not make

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
For one established there, Brahma, Indra, and the other hosts of gods seem like mere blades of grass; and even the greatest riches - like sovereignty over the three worlds - become tasteless. There is one supreme enjoyment that shines eternally. O seeker, do not cling to other pleasures that break in a moment.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse describes "taste-shift". When a deeper joy is tasted, lesser joys lose their tyranny. It is not that the world becomes ugly; it becomes proportionate. Even "divine" powers and statuses look small compared to the quiet fullness of the Real. Bhartruhari is pointing to a single enduring delight: the joy of abiding in truth. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

In real life, you may glimpse this after genuine meditation, after deep love, or after a near-miss that resets priorities: suddenly, things you once chased feel like grass. That shift is precious because it breaks addiction. The Upanishads call the Absolute രസ (deep savor); when that savor is known, the mind does not beg from fragile pleasures.

Practice: do not only "fight" desires; replace their taste. Build one daily source of deeper joy - meditation, meaningful service, study, or silence. Then watch how cravings lose intensity naturally. Dispassion becomes effortless when the mind has found a higher satisfaction.

സാ രമ്യാ നഗരീ മഹാന്സ നൃപതിഃ സാമംതചക്രം ച തത്
പാര്ശ്വേ തസ്യ ച സാ വിദഗ്ധപരിഷത്താശ്ചംദ്രബിംബാനനാഃ ।
ഉദ്വൃത്തഃ സ രാജപുത്രനിവഹസ്തേ വംദിനസ്താഃ കഥാഃ
സർവം യസ്യ വശാദഗാത്സ്മൃതിപഥം കാലായ തസ്മൈ നമഃ ॥ 3.41 ॥

ഛംദഃ (മാത്രാ-ചംദസ്): This is in a മാത്രാ-based Chandas/Meter (not a fixed അക്ഷര-count വൃത്ത): in this verse, the written segments carry approximately 24 + 25 + 22 + 24 മാത്രാഃ (total 95); treat ലഘു=1 മാത്രാ and ഗുരു=2 മാത്രാഃ, and keep the natural pauses at the segment ends marked by `।`/`॥` (do not confuse ദംഡ with internal യതി).

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
സാ - that
രമ്യാ - charming; delightful
നഗരീ - city
മഹാന് - great
സ - that
നൃപതിഃ - king; ruler
സാമംത - vassal; chief
ചക്രം - circle; surrounding group
ച - and
തത് - that
പാര്ശ്വേ - at the side; nearby
തസ്യ - of him
വിദഗ്ധ - clever; refined
പരിഷത് - assembly; court
താഃ - those (f. pl.)
ചംദ്ര - moon
ബിംബം - disk; orb
ആനനാഃ - faces
ഉദ്വൃത്തഃ - arrogant; headstrong
രാജപുത്ര - prince
നിവഹഃ - multitude; crowd
തേ - those
വംദിനഃ - panegyrists; bards
താഃ - those
കഥാഃ - stories; tales
സർവം - all
യസ്യ - whose
വശാത് - under whose power
അഗാത് - went
സ്മ്റ്തി - memory
പഥം - path
കാലായ - to Time
തസ്മൈ - to him
നമഃ - salutations

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
That delightful city, that great king and his circle of vassals, that cultured court of moon-faced beauties, that headstrong crowd of princes, those bards, those tales - all of it has gone down the road of memory under the power of Time. Salutations to Time.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse is a bow to കാല (Time) because Time humbles every human arrangement. Cities, courts, fame, and pleasure all feel solid while we are inside them; later they become stories. Bhartruhari is not merely lamenting; he is sharpening വിവേക (discernment) by reminding us that even the most impressive "world" eventually becomes a memory in someone else's mind.

This is directly relevant to how we chase status today. Titles change, platforms fade, circles dissolve, and the very things we anxiously curate become footnotes. ആദി ശംകരാചാര്യ compresses the same truth in ഭ്ഹജ ഗോവിംദമ്: കാലഃ ക്രീഡതി ഗച്ചതി ആയുഃ - time plays, and life moves on. When we remember this, we stop investing our entire identity into what Time will certainly recycle.

Practice: once a week, imagine your current worries as a future story. Ask: "What would I want to have valued if this all becomes memory?" Then act accordingly - deepen character, relationships, and inner practice. A life aligned with what lasts is the best way to honor Time.

യത്രാനേകഃ ക്വചിദപി ഗൃഹേ തത്ര തിഷ്ഠത്യഥൈകോ
യത്രാപ്യേകസ്തദനു ബഹവസ്തത്ര നൈകോഽപി ചാംതേ ।
ഇത്ഥം നേയൌ രജനിദിവസൌ ലോലയംദ്വാവിവാക്ഷൌ
കാലഃ കല്യോ ഭുവനഫലകേ ക്രീഡതി പ്രാണിശാരൈഃ ॥ 3.42 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
യത്ര - where
അനേകഃ - many
ക്വചിദ് അപി - in some place
ഗൃഹേ - in a home
തത്ര - there
തിഷ്ഠതി - remains
അഥ - then
ഏകഃ - one
യത്ര അപി - where also
ഏകഃ - one
തദ് അനു - thereafter
ബഹവഃ - many
തത്ര - there
ന ഏകഃ അപി - not even one
ച - and
അംതേ - in the end
ഇത്ഥം - thus
നേയൌ - "to be cast" (as dice); two (night/day) used like dice
രജനി - night
ദിവസൌ - days
ലോലയന് - rolling; throwing
ദ്വൌ - two
ഇവ - like
അക്ഷൌ - dice
കാലഃ - Time
കല്യഃ - clever; skilful
ഭുവന - world
പലകം - board (as of a game)
ക്രീഡതി - plays
പ്രാണി - living beings
ശാരൈഹ് - as pieces/counters (as written: ശാരൈഃ)

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
In some house there were many, and later only one remains; where there was one, later there are many; and in the end not even one is left. Thus Time, the clever player, plays on the world-board, rolling night and day like two dice, moving living beings as the pieces.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse makes impermanence intimate: it is not only kingdoms that vanish, but households. The "game" image is not to mock suffering; it is to show that change is built into life. Friends come, family disperses, roles shift, and finally everyone exits. Seeing this truth is the beginning of വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion): you stop clinging and start valuing what is meaningful while it is present. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

This can transform how we live in communities today. Instead of assuming relationships are permanent and neglecting them, we become more attentive and grateful. Instead of building identity only on being "needed" by a certain group, we build inner stability, so transitions do not destroy us. Time will move the pieces; wisdom is learning how to play without losing peace. This is the അനിത്യതാ (impermanence) reflection that Sa~gkarAcArya uses to awaken വൈരാഗ്യ: seeing change clearly, we stop demanding permanent comfort from it.

Practice: reach out to one person you have taken for granted and express simple appreciation. Also, loosen one identity-role you are over-attached to. When you can love without clinging, Time's moves hurt less and teach more.

ആദിത്യസ്യ ഗതാഗതൈരഹരഹഃ സംക്ഷീയതേ ജീവിതം
വ്യാപാരൈര്ബഹുകാര്യഭാരഗുരുഭിഃ കാലോഽപി ന ജ്ഞായതേ ।
ദൃഷ്ട്വാ ജന്മജരാവിപത്തിമരണം ത്രാസശ്ച നോത്പദ്യതേ
പീത്വാ മോഹമയീം പ്രമാദമദിരാം ഉന്മത്തഭൂതം ജഗഥ് ॥ 3.43 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ആദിത്യഃ - the sun (in verse: ആദിത്യസ്യ)
ഗത - going
ആഗത - coming
അഹരഹഃ - day after day
സംക്ഷീയതേ - is diminished; is worn away
ജീവിതം - life
വ്യാപാരൈഃ - by activities; by busyness
ബഹു - many
കാര്യ - tasks
ഭാരഃ - burden
ഗുരുഭിഃ - heavy
കാലഃ - time
അപി - even
ന ജ്ഞായതേ - is not known/recognized
ദൃഷ്ട്വാ - seeing
ജന്മ - birth
ജരാ - old age
വിപത്തിഃ - misfortune; adversity (in verse: വിപത്തി)
മരണം - death
ത്രാസഃ - fear
ച - and
ന ഉത്പദ്യതേ - does not arise
പീത്വാ - having drunk
മോഹ - delusion
മയീം - made of
പ്രമാദഃ - heedlessness; carelessness
മദിരാ - intoxicating wine
ഉന്മത്ത - maddened
ഭൂതം - become
ജഗത് - the world

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
With the sun's daily rising and setting, life keeps shrinking; and under the heavy burden of countless tasks, even time itself is not noticed. Though birth, aging, misfortune, and death are seen, fear does not arise, because the world has become intoxicated by the wine of delusion called heedlessness.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse points at the strangest human blindness: we watch time pass, and yet live as if it were infinite. Busyness becomes a drug. The poet calls it പ്രമാദ (heedlessness) - a drunken state where urgency is lost and the mind keeps postponing what matters. Even the obvious facts of mortality do not wake us because the intoxication is comforting. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

In our era, this intoxication often takes the form of constant activity: meetings, feeds, entertainment, and endless "productive" motion. But when the mind never pauses, it cannot see. Upanishadic teaching begins with waking up: ഉത്തിഷ്ഠത ജാഗ്രത (arise, awake). This verse is a similar wake-up call, asking us to become sober about time.

Practice: create a daily pause that breaks the intoxication - 5 minutes of silence at sunrise or sunset. Use it to remember three facts: life is finite, relationships are precious, and the mind can be trained. That small sobriety changes how you use the rest of the day.

രാത്രിഃ സൈവ പുനഃ സ ഏവ ദിവസോ മത്വാ മുധാ ജംതവോ
ധാവംത്യുദ്യമിനസ്തഥൈവ നിഭൃതപ്രാരബ്ധതത്തത്ക്രിയാഃ ।
വ്യാപാരൈഃ പുനര്ഉക്തഭൂതവിഷയൈരിത്ഥം വിധേനാമുനാ
സംസാരേണ കദര്ഥിതാ വയം അഹോ മോഹാന്ന ലജ്ജാമഹേ ॥ 3.44 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
രാത്രിഃ - night
സാ ഏവ - that same
പുനഃ - again
സഃ ഏവ - that same
ദിവസഃ - day
മത്വാ - thinking
മുധാ - vainly; uselessly
ജംതവഃ - creatures
ധാവംതി - run about
ഉദ്യമിനഃ - industrious; busy
തഥാ ഏവ - just the same
നിഭൃത - hidden; fixed (as written)
പ്രാരബ്ധ - destined; begun (karma)
തത്-തത്-ക്രിയാഃ - those actions, each of them
വ്യാപാരൈഃ - by activities
പുനരുക്ത - repeated
ഭൂത - become
വിഷയൈഃ - by sense-objects
ഇത്ഥം - thus
വിധേന - by this arrangement/method
അമുനാ - by this
സംസാരേണ - by worldly life
കദര്ഥിതാഃ - abused; degraded
വയം - we
അഹോ - alas
മോഹാത് - from delusion
ന ലജ്ജാമഹേ - we are not ashamed

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
Night is the same again, and the day is the same again; yet creatures, thinking vainly, keep running in busyness, repeating their destined actions. With activities and sense-pursuits endlessly repeated, we are degraded by this cycle of worldly life - and, alas, through delusion we feel no shame.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse is about life on autopilot. The repetition of day and night mirrors the repetition of our habits: the same worries, the same cravings, the same distractions. Bhartruhari says the tragedy is not only that we repeat, but that we do not even feel the "alarm" of shame that would make us change. Delusion normalizes the waste. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

This is why routines can be dangerous: they create the illusion of progress while the inner person remains unchanged. Many people work hard, consume hard, and distract hard, yet never ask: "What am I becoming?" When that question is absent, the cycle continues. The verse invites a conscious break in the loop. The GItA frames this steadiness as സമത്വ (even-mindedness): action continues, but the inner demand for guaranteed outcomes is relaxed.

Practice: change one daily loop deliberately. Break one automatic behavior (a habitual scroll, a habitual complaint, a habitual indulgence) and replace it with a conscious act (a walk, a prayer, a page of study). Small breaks are how the wheel of സംസാര begins to slow.

ന ധ്യാനം പദം ഈശ്വരസ്യ വിധിവത്സംസാരവിച്ഛിത്തയേ
സ്വര്ഗദ്വാരകപാടപാടനപടുര്ധര്മോഽപി നോപാര്ജിതഃ ।
നാരീപീനപയോധരോരുയുഗലം സ്വപ്നേഽപി നാലിംഗിതം
മാതുഃ കേവലം ഏവ യൌവനവനച്ഛേദേ കുഠാരാ വയമ് ॥ 3.45 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ന - not
ധ്യാനം - meditation
പദം - feet; abode (in verse: പദം)
ഈശ്വരസ്യ - of the Lord
വിധിവത് - properly
സംസാര - worldly cycle
വിച്ഛിത്തയേ - for cutting; for severing
സ്വര്ഗ - heaven
ദ്വാര - gate
കപാടം - door; shutter
പാടന - breaking open
പടുഃ - skilled
ധര്മഃ - merit; virtue
അപി - even
ന ഉപാര്ജിതഃ - not acquired
നാരീ - woman
പീന - full; firm
പയോധര - breast
ഊരു - thigh
യുഗലം - pair
സ്വപ്നേ അപി - even in a dream
ന ആലിംഗിതം - not embraced
മാതുഃ - of mother
കേവലം ഏവ - only indeed
യൌവന - youth
വനം - forest (metaphor: a flourishing thicket)
ച്ഛേദഃ - cutting
കുഠാരാഃ - axes
വയം - we

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
We have not properly meditated on the Lord's feet to cut the bondage of worldly life. We have not earned even the merit skilled enough to break open heaven's gate. We have not even in dreams embraced a woman's full breasts and thighs. We were born only to become axes that cut down our mother's forest of youth.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
This is self-criticism meant to shock the lazy mind. The poet says: we did not pursue the highest (liberation), nor even the common human enjoyments in a meaningful way; we simply passed time. And the only clear "result" of our birth was that our mother aged - her youth was cut down, as if by an axe. The verse is not anti-motherhood; it is pro-gratitude and pro-purpose. The word സംസാര (worldly churn of repeated becoming) is central: when വിവേക (discernment) is clear, വൈരാഗ്യ arises and the churn loses its grip.

Many people feel a modern version of this when they look back and realize they spent their best years in distraction and indecision. It is easy to consume entertainment and call it living. The verse asks for honesty: what did your life actually cultivate? In സനാതന ധര്മ, gratitude to parents is sacred - മാതൃ ദേവോ ഭവ (let the mother be a deity). Wasting life without honoring that sacrifice is a deep loss.

Practice: do one concrete act of service for your parents or elders - time, care, respect, or support. Then choose one clear direction for your own life: either deepen spiritual practice, or deepen ethical worldly life - but do not drift. Purpose is the real repayment.

നാഭ്യസ്താ പ്രതിവാദിവൃംദദമനീ വിദ്യാ വിനീതോചിതാ
ഖഡ്ഗാഗ്രൈഃ കരികുംഭപീഠദലനൈര്നാകം ന നീതം യശഃ ।
കാംതാകൌമ്അലപല്ലവാധരരസഃ പീതോ ന ചംദ്രോദയേ
താരുണ്യം ഗതം ഏവ നിഷ്ഫലം അഹോ ശൂന്യാലയേ ദീപവഥ് ॥ 3.46 ॥

ഛംദഃ (മാത്രാ-ചംദസ്): This is in a മാത്രാ-based Chandas/Meter (not a fixed അക്ഷര-count വൃത്ത): in this verse, the written segments carry approximately 27 + 25 + 28 + 26 മാത്രാഃ (total 106); treat ലഘു=1 മാത്രാ and ഗുരു=2 മാത്രാഃ, and keep the natural pauses at the segment ends marked by `।`/`॥` (do not confuse ദംഡ with internal യതി).

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ന - not
അഭ്യസ്താ - practiced; mastered
പ്രതി - against
വാദീ - debater
വൃംദം - group
ദമനി - subduing (f.)
വിദ്യാ - knowledge
വിനീത - disciplined; trained
ഉചിതാ - fitting; appropriate
ഖഡ്ഗഃ - sword
അഗ്രഃ - edge; tip (in verse: ഖഡ്ഗാഗ്രൈഃ)
കരി - elephant
കുംഭഃ - temple of the head
പീഠം - base/seat
ദലനം - splitting; crushing
യശഃ - fame
നാകം - heaven
ന നീതം - not taken/reached
കാംതാ - beloved
കൌമ്അല - tender (as written)
പല്ലവ - fresh sprout
അധരഃ - lip
രസഃ - nectar/taste
പീതഃ - drunk; tasted
ന - not
ചംദ്രോദയേ - at moonrise
താരുണ്യം - youth
ഗതം - gone
ഏവ - indeed
നിഷ്ഫലം - fruitless
അഹോ - alas
ശൂന്യാലയേ - in an empty house
ദീപ - lamp
വത് - like (in verse: ദീപവഥ്)

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
We have not mastered the disciplined knowledge that subdues the crowd of debaters. We have not carried fame to heaven, as if crushing an elephant's temple with a sword-point. We have not tasted at moonrise the nectar of a beloved's tender sprout-like lips. Youth has passed away fruitlessly - like a lamp in an empty house.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse again attacks waste. A lamp is valuable when it illumines a home; in an empty house it burns without benefit. Bhartruhari uses that image for youth: if it is not used for learning, love with responsibility, or inner growth, it is simply consumed by time. The poet is not demanding a specific life-script; he is demanding intentionality. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

Many people feel this after years of drifting between distractions: the mind was busy, but life did not become deeper. The remedy is not regret; it is immediate clarity. Youth may be physical, but "youth" also means energy, attention, and opportunity. Even later in life, that lamp can be turned toward what matters. The GItA frames this steadiness as സമത്വ (even-mindedness): action continues, but the inner demand for guaranteed outcomes is relaxed.

Practice: choose one domain to grow this month - knowledge, health, relationships, or spiritual practice - and take a concrete step daily. Reduce one time-waster that drains attention. If you do this consistently, the lamp of your life begins to illumine something real.

വിദ്യാ നാധിഗതാ കലംകരഹിതാ വിത്തം ച നോപാര്ജിതം
ശുശ്രൂഷാപി സമാഹിതേന മനസാ പിത്രോര്ന സംപാദിതാ ।
ആലോലായതലോചനാഃ പ്രിയതമാഃ സ്വപ്നേഽപി നാലിംഗിതാഃ
കാലോഽയം പരപിംഡലോലുപതയാ കാകൈരിവ പ്രേര്യതേ ॥ 3.47 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
വിദ്യാ - knowledge
ന അധിഗതാ - not attained
കലംക - stain; blemish
രഹിതാ - without
വിത്തം - wealth
ച - and
ന ഉപാര്ജിതം - not earned
ശുശ്രൂഷാ - devoted service
അപി - even
സമാഹിതേന - with a collected (focused) mind
മനസാ - with the mind
പിത്രോഃ - for the parents
ന സംപാദിതാ - not accomplished
ആലോലായത - dancing; swaying
ലോചനാഃ - eyes
പ്രിയതമാഃ - beloveds
സ്വപ്നേ അപി - even in dreams
ന ആലിംഗിതാഃ - not embraced
കാലഃ - time
അയം - this
പര - others'
പിംഡഃ - morsel; food
ലോലുപതാ - greed
കാകൈഃ - by crows
ഇവ - like
പ്രേര്യതേ - is driven; is pushed

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
We have not gained blemishless knowledge, nor earned wealth; we have not even served our parents with a collected mind. We have not embraced, even in dreams, our beloveds with dancing eyes. Time drives us on, like crows pushed by greed for another's morsel.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
This verse adds a moral dimension: not only was life wasted, it was spent in dependence and neglect. The crow image is sharp: crows live by picking leftovers; similarly, a person who lives without inner strength ends up living on others - approval, resources, status, or opportunities. Bhartruhari is saying: do not let time push you like that. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

In modern settings, this can look like living on borrowed attention: chasing likes, copying trends, and avoiding the slow work of building character and skill. It can also look like neglecting parents and elders while being busy with trivial pursuits. The verse is a reminder that a meaningful life includes learning, responsibility, and gratitude. This is the അനിത്യതാ (impermanence) reflection that Sa~gkarAcArya uses to awaken വൈരാഗ്യ: seeing change clearly, we stop demanding permanent comfort from it.

Practice: do one daily act of ശുശ്രൂഷാ (devoted service) - toward parents, elders, or anyone who supported you. Also, build one piece of independent competence (a skill, a habit, a discipline). When you become less crow-like, time becomes less of a whip and more of a teacher.

വയം യേഭ്യോ ജാതാശ്ചിരപരിഗതാ ഏവ ഖലു തേ
സമം യൈഃ സംവൃദ്ധാഃ സ്മൃതിവിഷയതാം തേഽപി ഗമിതാഃ ।
ഇദാനീം ഏതേ സ്മഃ പ്രതിദിവസം ആസന്നപതനാ
ഗതാസ്തുല്യാവസ്ഥാം സികതിലനദീതീരതരുഭിഃ ॥ 3.48 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
വയം - we
യേഭ്യഃ - from whom
ജാതാഃ - born
ചിരപരിഗതാഃ - long since departed
ഏവ - indeed
ഖലു - truly
തേ - they
സമം - together
യൈഃ - with whom
സംവൃദ്ധാഃ - grown up
സ്മ്റ്തി - memory
വിഷയതാം - into an object (of)
തേ അപി - they too
ഗമിതാഃ - taken; made to go
ഇദാനീം - now
ഏതേ സ്മഃ - we are these (i.e., in this state)
പ്രതിദിവസം - day by day
ആസന്ന - near; approaching
പതനാ - falling
ഗതാഃ - gone; become
തുല്യ - similar
അവസ്ഥാം - condition/state
സികതില - sandy
നദീ - river
തീര - bank
തരുഭിഃ - with trees

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
Those who gave birth to us have long since departed. Those with whom we grew up have also been made only objects of memory. Now, day by day, we are approaching the same condition - like trees standing on the sandy bank of a river, near to falling.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse is a meditation on the thinning of life. Parents go, friends go, and soon we too stand "near to falling." The river-bank tree image is exact: it stands upright, but the ground under it is eroding. Bhartruhari is not trying to frighten; he is trying to make us honest about the direction of time. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

This is relevant when we live as if relationships and opportunities are permanent. We postpone calls, postpone apologies, postpone gratitude, and assume we can do it "later." The verse says: later is not guaranteed. When impermanence is remembered, love becomes more immediate and priorities become clearer. The GItA frames this steadiness as സമത്വ (even-mindedness): action continues, but the inner demand for guaranteed outcomes is relaxed.

Practice: do one act of reconciliation or appreciation today. Also, stop postponing one meaningful project that your heart knows matters. If you live as a river-bank tree, you will cling; if you live with awareness of erosion, you will use time wisely.

ആയുർവര്ഷശതം നൃണാം പരിമിതം രാത്രൌ തദ്അര്ധം ഗതം
തസ്യാര്ധസ്യ പരസ്യ ചാര്ധം അപരം ബാലത്വവൃദ്ധത്വയോഃ ।
ശേഷം വ്യാധിവിയോഗദുഃഖസഹിതം സേവാദിഭിര്നീയതേ
ജീവേ വാരിതരംഗചംചലതരേ സൌഖ്യം കുതഃ പ്രാണിനാമ് ॥ 3.49 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ആയുഃ - lifespan
വര്ഷ - years
ശതം - hundred
നൃണാം - of humans
പരിമിതം - limited; measured
രാത്രൌ - in night(s)
തത് - that
അര്ധം - half
ഗതം - gone
തസ്യ - of that
അര്ധസ്യ - of half
പരസ്യ - of the remaining
ച - and
അര്ധം - half
അപരം - another
ബാലത്വ - childhood
വൃദ്ധത്വ - old age
യോഃ - in the two
ശേഷം - the remainder
വ്യാധി - illness
വിയോഗ - separation; loss
ദുഃഖ - sorrow
സഹിതം - together with
സേവാ - service
ആദിഭിഃ - and the like
നീയതേ - is carried away/spent
ജീവേ - in life (loc.)
വാരി - water
തരംഗ - wave
ചംചല - fickle
തരേ - very (comparative)
സൌഖ്യം - happiness
കുതഃ - where/from what source?
പ്രാണിനാം - for living beings

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
Human life is limited to a hundred years; half of it is spent in nights. Of the remaining half, another half is lost to childhood and old age. The rest is spent amid illness, separation, sorrow, and service to others. In a life more fickle than water-waves, where is lasting happiness for living beings?

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
This is a time-accounting verse. When you subtract sleep, dependency, decline, sickness, and obligations, very little remains as "free life." Bhartruhari is not trying to make you despair; he is trying to make you stop wasting what remains. The problem is not that life is short; the problem is that we spend it chasing what cannot satisfy. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

The categories remain recognizably the same today: sleep, school, work, maintenance, stress, and loss. Many people then try to squeeze "happiness" out of scraps through binge consumption. The verse suggests the opposite: if time is scarce, invest it in what has depth. Inner freedom gives a happiness that does not require perfect external conditions. The GItA frames this steadiness as സമത്വ (even-mindedness): action continues, but the inner demand for guaranteed outcomes is relaxed.

Practice: audit one week of time and remove one low-value habit. Use that recovered time for something that strengthens you: health, relationships, learning, or contemplation. If you treat time as sacred, the quality of life rises even if the quantity is limited.

ക്ഷണം ബാലോ ഭൂത്വാ ക്ഷണം അപി യുവാ കാമരസികഃ
ക്ഷണം വിത്തൈര്ഹീനഃ ക്ഷണം അപി ച സംപൂര്ണവിഭവഃ ।
ജരാജീര്ണൈരംഗൈര്നട ഇവ ബലീമംഡിതതനൂര്
നരഃ സംസാരാംതേ വിശതി യമധാനീയവനികാമ് ॥ 3.50 ॥

ഛംദഃ (മാത്രാ-ചംദസ്): This is in a മാത്രാ-based Chandas/Meter (not a fixed അക്ഷര-count വൃത്ത): in this verse, the written segments carry approximately 23 + 20 + 23 + 23 മാത്രാഃ (total 89); treat ലഘു=1 മാത്രാ and ഗുരു=2 മാത്രാഃ, and keep the natural pauses at the segment ends marked by `।`/`॥` (do not confuse ദംഡ with internal യതി).

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ക്ഷണം - a moment
ബാലഃ - a child
ഭൂത്വാ - having become
ക്ഷണം അപി - and in another moment
യുവാ - a youth
കാമ - desire
രസികഃ - one who relishes; a sensualist
ക്ഷണം - a moment
വിത്തൈഃ - with wealth
ഹീനഃ - deprived
ക്ഷണം അപി - in another moment
സംപൂര്ണ - complete
വിഭവഃ - prosperity
ജരാ - old age
ജീര്ണ - worn-out
അംഗൈഃ - with limbs
നടഃ - an actor
ഇവ - like
വലീ - wrinkles
മംഡിത - adorned/marked
തനുഃ - body
നരഃ - man; person
സംസാര - worldly life
അംതേ - at the end
വിശതി - enters
യമ - Yama (Lord of Death)
ധാനീയ - belonging to; the abode (as written)
വനികാം - stage/curtain (as written)

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
For a moment one is a child, for another moment a desire-driven youth; for a moment poor, for another moment wealthy. At the end, the body worn out by age and marked by wrinkles, a person enters Death's dwelling like an actor leaving the stage.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse is a teaching on roles. We keep changing masks: student, lover, parent, worker, leader, retiree. Each role feels absolute while we inhabit it, but it is temporary. Bhartruhari's actor image is meant to loosen identification: you are not the costume. When the final curtain comes, the performance ends. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

This is where അദ്വൈത becomes practical. If you identify with roles, every role-change feels like death: promotions inflate, demotions crush, relationships define self-worth. But if you learn to rest as the witness - awareness that watches all roles - you gain stability. Roles can then be played sincerely, without being mistaken for the Self.

Practice: at the end of the day, recall the roles you played and consciously put them down for a minute. Say: "Role is role; I am the one who knows." This small daily de-identification makes the mind less dramatic and more free. Then, when roles change in life, you can respond with dignity rather than panic.

ത്വം രാജാ വയം അപ്യുപാസിതഗുരുപ്രജ്ഞാഭിമാനോന്നതാഃ
ഖ്യാതസ്ത്വം വിഭവൈര്യശാംസി കവയോ ദിക്ഷു പ്രതന്വംതി നഃ ।
ഇത്ഥം മാനധനാതിദൂരം ഉഭയോരപ്യാവയോരംതരം
യദ്യസ്മാസു പരാങ്മുഖോഽസി വയം അപ്യേകാംതതോ നിഃസ്പൃഹാ ॥ 3.51 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ത്വം - you
രാജാ - king
വയം - we
അപി - also
ഉപാസിത - served; attended upon
ഗുരുഃ - teacher
പ്രജ്ഞാ - wisdom
അഭിമാനഃ - self-respect; pride (here: confidence in wisdom)
ഉന്നതാഃ - uplifted; elevated
ഖ്യാതഃ - famous
വിഭവൈഃ - by riches; by prosperity
യശഃ - fame (in verse: യശാംസി = fame/glories)
കവയഃ - poets
ദിക്ഷു - in all directions
പ്രതന്വംതി - spread; extend
നഃ - our
ഇത്ഥം - thus
മാന - honor; regard
ധന - wealth
അതിദൂരം - far apart
ഉഭയോഃ - of both
ആവയോഃ - of us two
അംതരം - difference
യദി - if
അസ്മാസു - toward us
പരാങ്മുഖഃ - turned away
അസി - you are
ഏകാംതതഃ - completely
നിഃസ്പൃഹാഃ - desireless; indifferent

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
You are a king; we too, through service to our teacher, stand uplifted by confidence in wisdom. You are famed by wealth; poets spread our fame in all directions. Thus the distance between us in honor and wealth is very great. If you turn away from us, we too are entirely without desire for you.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
This verse opens a dialogue where the ascetic refuses psychological dependency on power. The king has outer authority; the ascetic claims inner authority through training under the teacher. The point is not arrogance; it is സ്വാതംത്ര്യ (inner freedom): the seeker does not beg for royal regard because his self-worth is not purchased by status. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

In modern life, power takes many forms: titles, money, platforms, networks. It is easy to become a "courtier" of these - to shape speech and values for approval. Bhartruhari's stance is a reminder that dignity comes from inner cultivation. When you build competence and clarity, you can respect power without flattering it. The GItA frames this steadiness as സമത്വ (even-mindedness): action continues, but the inner demand for guaranteed outcomes is relaxed.

Practice: notice one place where you soften your principles to gain approval. Replace that with one act of honest speech or clean boundaries. Cultivate one inner asset that cannot be taken away - skill, discipline, or steady practice. Then even if someone powerful turns away, you remain whole.

അര്ഥാനാം ഈശിഷേ ത്വം വയം അപി ച ഗിരാം ഈശ്മഹേ യാവദര്ഥം
ശൂരസ്ത്വം വാദിദര്പവ്യുപശമനവിധാവക്ഷയം പാടവം നഃ ।
സേവംതേ ത്വാം ധനാഢ്യാ മതിമലഹതയേ മാം അപി ശ്രോതുകാമാഃ ।
മയ്യപ്യാസ്ഥാ ന തേ ചേത്ത്വയി മമ നിതരാം ഏവ രാജന്നനാസ്ഥാ ॥ 3.52 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
അര്ഥഃ - wealth; valuables (in verse: അര്ഥാനാം = of wealth/things)
ഈശിഷേ - you rule; you are lord of
ഗിരാഃ - words; speech (in verse: ഗിരാം)
ഈശ്മഹേ - we rule; we are masters of
യാവദര്ഥം - as far as meaning/purpose goes; rightly
ശൂരഃ - brave
വാദീ - disputant; debater
ദര്പഃ - pride
വ്യുപശമന - pacifying; subduing
വിധൌ - in the method/act of
അക്ഷയം - inexhaustible; unfailing
പാടവം - skill; capacity
നഃ - our
സേവംതേ - serve
ത്വാം - you
ധനാഢ്യാഃ - the wealthy
മതി - mind; understanding
മലഃ - impurity; stain
ഹതിഃ - removal
മതിമലഹതയേ - for removing mental impurity
മാം - me
അപി - also
ശ്രോതുകാമാഃ - wishing to hear (teachings)
മയി അപി - toward me also
ആസ്ഥാ - regard; trust
ന - not
തേ - to you
ചേത് - if
ത്വയി - in you / toward you
മമ - my
നിതരാം ഏവ - entirely indeed
അനാസ്ഥാ - lack of regard; indifference
രാജന് - O king!

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
You are master of wealth; we too are masters of speech, in its true sense. You are brave; we have unfailing skill in subduing the pride of debaters. The rich serve you; and those who wish to cleanse their minds by listening come to me as well. If you have no regard for me, then, O king, I have none for you either.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse contrasts outer power with inner power. Wealth gathers servants; clarity gathers sincere listeners. The ascetic is not insulting the king; he is saying that spiritual life cannot be measured by royal favor. When knowledge is real, it stands on its own feet, and the seeker does not barter dignity for patronage. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

This is valuable in modern professional life. Many institutions reward flattery; many leaders unconsciously expect it. The verse encourages a different posture: respect without servility. If your worth depends on proximity to power, you will live in anxiety. If your worth depends on integrity and competence, you can cooperate without losing yourself. The GItA frames this steadiness as സമത്വ (even-mindedness): action continues, but the inner demand for guaranteed outcomes is relaxed.

Practice: speak with respect, but do not distort truth for approval. Build one form of inner authority - deep knowledge, consistent practice, or ethical steadiness - so your confidence is not borrowed. Then you can engage with hierarchy without becoming its hostage.

വയം ഇഹ പരിതുഷ്ടാ വല്കലൈസ്ത്വം ദുകൂലൈഃ
സമ ഇഹ പരിതോഷോ നിർവിശേഷോ വിശേഷഃ ।
സ തു ഭവതു ദരിദ്രോ യസ്യ തൃഷ്ണാ വിശാലാ
മനസി ച പരിതുഷ്ടേ കോഽര്ഥവാന്കോ ദരിദ്രഃ ॥ 3.53 ॥

ഛംദഃ (മാത്രാ-ചംദസ്): This is in a മാത്രാ-based Chandas/Meter (not a fixed അക്ഷര-count വൃത്ത): in this verse, the written segments carry approximately 19 + 20 + 19 + 19 മാത്രാഃ (total 77); treat ലഘു=1 മാത്രാ and ഗുരു=2 മാത്രാഃ, and keep the natural pauses at the segment ends marked by `।`/`॥` (do not confuse ദംഡ with internal യതി).

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
വയം - we
ഇഹ - here
പരിതുഷ്ടാഃ - content; satisfied
വല്കലൈഃ - with tree-barks (as clothing)
ത്വം - you
ദുകൂലൈഃ - with fine garments
സമഃ - equal; alike
പരിതോശഃ - contentment
നിർവിശേഷഃ - without distinction; uniform
വിശേഷഃ - difference; distinction
സ തു - that indeed
ഭവതു - let him be
ദരിദ്രഃ - poor
യസ്യ - whose
തൃഷ്ണാ - craving; thirst
വിശാലാ - vast; great
മനസി - in the mind
പരിതുഷ്ടേ - when content
കഃ - who?
അര്ഥവാന് - rich; possessing wealth
ദരിദ്രഃ - poor

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
We are content here with tree-barks; you with fine garments - yet contentment is the same, and the difference is insignificant. Let him be the truly poor one whose craving is vast. When the mind is content, who is rich and who is poor?

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
This is one of Bhartruhari's clearest definitions of wealth: inner satisfaction. Outer possessions can differ wildly, but the inner state can be identical. The verse flips the usual labels: the truly "poor" person is the one with endless തൃഷ്ണാ (craving), because craving is a permanent sense of lack. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

This is highly relevant in a consumer economy. Two people can earn the same salary, yet one lives calmly and the other lives in chronic anxiety because of lifestyle inflation. The verse points to a practical truth: contentment is not the result of getting more, it is the skill of needing less. When that skill is present, dignity and peace do not depend on external comparisons. This is the അനിത്യതാ (impermanence) reflection that Sa~gkarAcArya uses to awaken വൈരാഗ്യ: seeing change clearly, we stop demanding permanent comfort from it.

Practice: define one "enough" boundary this month (clothes, gadgets, entertainment, spending) and stick to it. Replace one purchase with one act that grows inner wealth: learning, health, service, or silence. As സംതോഷ (contentment) strengthens, the mind feels rich regardless of outer differences.

ഫലം അലം അശനായ സ്വാദു പാനായ തോയം
ക്ഷിതിരപി ശയനാര്ഥം വാസസേ വല്കലം ച ।
നവധനമധുപാനഭ്രാംതസർവേംദ്രിയാണാം
അവിനയം അനുമംതും നോത്സഹേ ദുര്ജനാനാമ് ॥ 3.54 ॥

ഛംദഃ (മാലിനീ): This is in മാലിനീ (സമ-വൃത്ത) Chandas/Meter: 4 പാദാഃ, 15 അക്ഷരാഃ per പാദ; ലഘു/ഗുരു pattern (per പാദ) is `LLLLLLGG GLGGLGG`; യതി (pause) is after the 8th syllable in each പാദ.

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ഫലം - fruit
അലം - enough
അശനായ - for eating; for food
സ്വാദു - sweet; pleasant
പാനായ - for drinking
തോയം - water
ക്ഷിതിഃ - earth
അപി - also
ശയനാര്ഥം - for the purpose of sleeping; for a bed
വാസസേ - for clothing
വല്കലം - tree-bark
ച - and
നവ - new
ധന - wealth
മധു - honey/sweetness (here: "wine" metaphor)
പാന - drinking
ഭ്രാംത - bewildered; intoxicated
സർവ - all
ഇംദ്രിയാണാം - of the senses
അവിനയം - lack of discipline; insolence
അനുമംതും - to approve/tolerate
ന ഉത്സഹേ - I do not dare; I will not
ദുര്ജനാനാം - of wicked people

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
Fruit is enough to eat, sweet water is enough to drink, earth is enough for a bed, and tree-bark is enough for clothing. I do not have the heart to tolerate the insolence of wicked people whose senses are bewildered by the intoxicating drink of newly gained wealth.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse ties simplicity to dignity. When needs are minimal, you do not have to submit to the rude and the corrupt. Bhartruhari points out a common moral decay: new wealth can intoxicate, making the senses and judgment wander, and producing അവിനയ (insolence, lack of discipline). The ascetic says: I would rather live simply than pay the price of enduring that. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

This is a powerful modern lesson. Many people tolerate toxic environments because their lifestyle is expensive. When your basics are simple, you can say no to disrespect. The verse is not romanticizing poverty; it is highlighting a freedom that comes from reducing wants. It also reminds us to watch our own behavior when we gain money - does it make us kinder, or more arrogant? This is the അനിത്യതാ (impermanence) reflection that Sa~gkarAcArya uses to awaken വൈരാഗ്യ: seeing change clearly, we stop demanding permanent comfort from it.

Practice: reduce one "need" that is actually a luxury, and use that freedom to set a boundary with one disrespectful dynamic. Also, if your income increases, consciously practice humility: give more, speak gently, and stay grounded. Wealth becomes safe when it is governed by വിനയ (discipline and humility).

അശ്നീമഹി വയം ഭിക്ഷാം ആശാവാസോ വസീമഹി ।
ശയീമഹി മഹീപൃഷ്ഠേ കുർവീമഹി കിം ഈശ്വരൈഃ ॥ 3.55 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
അശ്നീമഹി - we eat
വയം - we
ഭിക്ഷാം - alms; begged food
ആശാവാസഃ - having the sky as clothing (i.e., the sky as "garment")
വസീമഹി - we wear/dwell (i.e., we will live with that)
ശയീമഹി - we sleep
മഹീ - earth
പൃഷ്ഠേ - on the surface
കുർവീമഹി - shall we do
കിം - what?
ഈശ്വരൈഃ - with rulers/lords

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
We will eat alms, wear the open sky as our clothing, and sleep on the earth. What do we need with rulers?

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse states a radical kind of independence: if your needs are simple, power loses its leverage over you. The ascetic is not being disrespectful to rulers; he is refusing to become dependent on them. When livelihood and dignity do not rely on patronage, the mind becomes fearless. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

This has a clear modern parallel. Many compromises are made not because people are evil, but because they are over-leveraged - financially, socially, emotionally. When your lifestyle is expensive, you become easy to control. Bhartruhari is pointing to the freedom that comes from reducing needs and strengthening inner resources. The GItA frames this steadiness as സമത്വ (even-mindedness): action continues, but the inner demand for guaranteed outcomes is relaxed.

Practice: simplify one area where you feel controlled - debt, consumption, social approval. Build a buffer and a plan so you do not have to flatter for survival. Even a small move toward simplicity creates disproportionate freedom.

ന നടാ നാ വിടാ ന ഗായകാ ന ച സഭ്യേതരവാദചുംചവഃ ।
നൃപം ഈക്ഷിതും അത്ര കേ വയം സ്തനഭാരാനമിതാ ന യോഷിതഃ ॥ 3.56 ॥

ഛംദഃ (മാത്രാ-ചംദസ്): This is in a മാത്രാ-based Chandas/Meter (not a fixed അക്ഷര-count വൃത്ത): in this verse, the written segments carry approximately 28 + 27 മാത്രാഃ (total 55); treat ലഘു=1 മാത്രാ and ഗുരു=2 മാത്രാഃ, and keep the natural pauses at the segment ends marked by `।`/`॥` (do not confuse ദംഡ with internal യതി).

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ന - not
നടാഃ - actors
ന - not
വിടാഃ - jesters; buffoons
ന - not
ഗായകാഃ - singers
ന ച - nor
സഭ്യ - of the court/assembly
ഏതര - other; outside (as in സഭ്യേതര)
വാദീ - debater
ചുംചവഃ - professional talkers/chatterers (as written)
നൃപം - the king
ഈക്ഷിതും - to see
അത്ര - here
കേ - who?
വയം - we
സ്തന - breast
ഭാരഃ - weight
ആനമിത - bent down
ന - not
യോഷിതഃ - women

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
We are not actors, not jesters, not singers, nor professional court-debaters; and we are not women bent by the weight of their breasts. Then who are we, here, to go and look at the king?

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse is humorous, but the point is serious: court-life runs on performance. People go to rulers to entertain, to argue, to flatter, to seek favors, or to trade allure for advantage. The ascetic says: we are not in that business, so we have no reason to go. This is വൈരാഗ്യ expressed as freedom from needless social orbiting. Seen through വിവേക (discernment), this is an invitation to let വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion) arise from understanding, not from bitterness.

In modern terms, this is freedom from chasing attention. Many people spend emotional energy trying to be seen by "important" people - bosses, influencers, gatekeepers - without any real purpose except ego. The verse invites a dignified question: is this visit necessary, or is it just a need to be validated? Sa~gkarAcArya's ഭ്ഹജ ഗോവിംദമ് returns to this point often: do not postpone inner clarity for outer arrangements; convert insight into a small daily discipline.

Practice: reduce one kind of attention-seeking. Stop one unnecessary meeting, one status event, or one routine of checking whether you were noticed. Use that time for something that strengthens you - skill, health, study, or silence. When you stop performing, you start living.

വിപുലഹൃദയൈരീശൈരേതജ്ജഗജ്ജനിതം പുരാ
വിധൃതം അപരൈര്ദത്തം ചാന്യൈർവിജിത്യ തൃണം യഥാ ।
ഇഹ ഹി ഭുവനാന്യന്യൈര്ധീരാശ്ചതുര്ദശ ഭുംജതേ
കതിപയപുരസ്വാമ്യേ പുംസാം ക ഏഷ മദജ്വരഃ ॥ 3.57 ॥

ഛംദഃ (ഹരിണീ): This is in ഹരിണീ (സമ-വൃത്ത) Chandas/Meter: 4 പാദാഃ, 17 അക്ഷരാഃ per പാദ; ലഘു/ഗുരു pattern (per പാദ) is `LLLLLG GGGG LGLLGLG`; യതി (pause) is after the 6th and 10th syllables in each പാദ.

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
വിപുല - broad; generous
ഹൃദയ - heart
ഈശൈഃ - by rulers/kings
ഏതത് - this
ജഗത് - world
ജനിതം - produced; created
പുരാ - formerly
വിധൃതം - held up; sustained
അപരൈഃ - by others
ദത്തം - given away
ച - and
അന്യൈഃ - by others
വിജിത്യ - having conquered
തൃണം - straw
യഥാ - like
ഇഹ ഹി - here indeed
ഭുവനാനി - worlds
അന്യൈഃ - by others
ധീരാഃ - courageous ones; wise heroes
ചതുര്ദശ - fourteen
ഭുംജതേ - enjoy
കതിപയ - a few
പുര - towns/cities
സ്വാമ്യേ - in lordship; in rulership
പുംസാം - of men
കഃ - what?
ഏഷ - this
മദ - pride
ജ്വരഃ - fever

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
In earlier times this world was built up by generous kings, ruled by others, and conquered and thrown away like straw by still others. Even now, some heroes enjoy the fourteen worlds. So what is this fever of pride in people over being lord of just a few towns?

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse mocks the intoxication of small power. Kingdoms have changed hands endlessly; even the greatest empires become footnotes. Against that vast horizon, pride over a tiny territory is a kind of delusion. Bhartruhari calls it മദ-ജ്വര (the fever of pride): a sickness that makes the mind forget scale and forget mortality. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

This applies cleanly to modern "turf wars" - over titles, headcount, visibility, or being in charge of a small domain. People spend years fighting for a corner of an organization, only to realize it was never truly theirs. The verse suggests a healthier posture: treat authority as stewardship, not as identity, and do not sacrifice character to win a small throne. The GItA frames this steadiness as സമത്വ (even-mindedness): action continues, but the inner demand for guaranteed outcomes is relaxed.

Practice: if you have responsibility, use it for ലോകാനുഗ്രഹ (welfare of others), not self-glorification. If you seek power, examine why. Reduce the need to be "above" others and increase the desire to be useful. Pride-fever cools when service becomes the motive.

അഭുക്തായാം യസ്യാം ക്ഷണം അപി ന യാതം നൃപശതൈര്
ധുവസ്തസ്യാ ലാഭേ ക ഇവ ബഹുമാനഃ ക്ഷിതിഭൃതാമ് ।
തദ്അംശസ്യാപ്യംശേ തദ്അവയലേശേഽപി പതയോ
വിഷാദേ കര്തവ്യേ വിദധതി ജഡാഃ പ്രത്യുത മുദമ് ॥ 3.58 ॥

ഛംദഃ (മാത്രാ-ചംദസ്): This is in a മാത്രാ-based Chandas/Meter (not a fixed അക്ഷര-count വൃത്ത): in this verse, the written segments carry approximately 22 + 22 + 21 + 21 മാത്രാഃ (total 86); treat ലഘു=1 മാത്രാ and ഗുരു=2 മാത്രാഃ, and keep the natural pauses at the segment ends marked by `।`/`॥` (do not confuse ദംഡ with internal യതി).

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
അഭുക്താ - not enjoyed; not left unused (f.)
യസ്യാം - in which (f.)
ക്ഷണം അപി - even a moment
ന യാതം - has not passed (without being used/enjoyed)
നൃപ - king
ശതൈഃ - by hundreds
ധ്രുവഃ - fixed/certain (in verse: ധുവസ്)
തസ്യാഃ - of that (earth)
ലാഭേ - in acquisition/gain
കഃ ഇവ - what indeed?
ബഹുമാനഃ - great honor; esteem
ക്ഷിതി - earth
ഭൃതാം - of those who bear (i.e., kings)
തദ് - that
അംശഃ - share; portion
അസ്യ അപി അംശേ - even in a fraction of it
തദ് - that
അവയ - limb/part
ലേശേ - in a tiny fragment
അപി - even
പതയഃ - lords; rulers
വിഷാദേ - in sorrow
കര്തവ്യേ - when it ought to be done
വിദധതി - do; show
ജഡാഃ - dull-witted; fools
പ്രത്യുത - rather; instead
മുദം - joy

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
The earth is such that it has not been left un-enjoyed even for a moment by hundreds of kings. What great honor can there be for rulers in acquiring it? Yet fools, even when they get only a fraction - even a tiny fragment - feel joy when sorrow would be more appropriate.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
Bhartruhari exposes the irrational pride around possession. Land and power have been held, lost, and held again countless times. So why should acquisition inflate the ego? The verse says the correct response is not intoxicated celebration, but sober reflection - because what you gained will also be lost, and the craving to own is itself a chain. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

We can see this even outside politics. People gain a small title, a small advantage, a small possession, and immediately feel "I am someone." That joy is fragile because it rests on comparison and fear of loss. The verse invites a deeper joy that comes from inner growth, not from grabbing a tiny piece of the world. This is the അനിത്യതാ (impermanence) reflection that Sa~gkarAcArya uses to awaken വൈരാഗ്യ: seeing change clearly, we stop demanding permanent comfort from it.

Practice: when you achieve something, pause before celebrating. Ask: does this make me kinder, wiser, freer - or just louder? Celebrate growth of character more than growth of control. Pride shrinks when you measure success by depth rather than by territory.

മൃത്പിംഡോ ജലരേഖയാ വലയിതഃ സർവോഽപ്യയം നന്വണുഃ
സ്വാംശീകൃത്യ സ ഏവ സംഗരശതൈ രാജ്ഞാം ഗണാ ഭുംജതേ ।
യേ ദദ്യുര്ദദതോഽഥവാ കിം അപരം ക്ഷുദ്രാ ദരിദ്രം ഭൃശം
ധിഗ്ധിക്താന്പുരുഷാധമാംധനകണാന്വാംഛംതി തേഭ്യോഽപി യേ ॥ 3.59 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
മൃത് - earth/clay
പിംഡഃ - lump; clod
ജലരേഖയാ - by a line of water (i.e., the surrounding ocean)
വലയിതഃ - encircled
സർവഃ - all
അപി - even
അയം - this
നനു - indeed
അണുഃ - atom; tiny
സ്വാംശീകൃത്യ - having made (it) one's own
സ ഏവ - that very (same earth)
സംഗര - battle
ശതൈഃ - by hundreds
രാജ്ഞാം - of kings
ഗണാഃ - groups
ഭുംജതേ - enjoy; consume
തേ - they
ദദ്യുഃ - may give
അദദതഃ - may not give
അഥവാ - or
കിം അപരം - what else?
ക്ഷുദ്രാഃ - petty; small-minded
ദരിദ്രം - poor; miserly
ഭൃശം - greatly
ധിഗ്ധിക് - shame! fie!
താന് - those
പുരുഷാധമാന് - lowest of men
ധന - wealth
കണാന് - particles; tiny bits (small coins)
വാംഛംതി - desire
തേഭ്യഃ അപി - even from them
യേ - who

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
This entire earth is only a clod of clay, ringed by a line of water - and even then it is but a tiny atom. Groups of kings claim and enjoy it after hundreds of battles. Whether they give or do not give, what else can be expected from such petty, spiritually poor people? Shame on those lowest of men who still desire even small coins from them.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse attacks two kinds of pettiness: fighting for a "clod" and begging for crumbs from the fighters. Bhartruhari shrinks the earth to its true scale to puncture pride. When you see that possession is temporary and small, the ego's hunger looks absurd. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

In modern life, this can look like sacrificing integrity for small perks: a little power, a small bonus, a minor advantage. People flatter toxic authorities for scraps, and in doing so they lose their inner wealth. The verse invites a stronger dignity: earn your living cleanly and keep your self-respect intact. The GItA frames this steadiness as സമത്വ (even-mindedness): action continues, but the inner demand for guaranteed outcomes is relaxed.

Practice: identify one place where you compromise for something small. Stop the bargain. Replace it with one act of self-reliance: skill-building, saving, or simplifying your needs. When you stop begging for crumbs, your mind becomes naturally more fearless.

സ ജാതഃ കോഽപ്യാസീന്മദനരിപുണാ മൂര്ധ്നി ധവലം
കപാലം യസ്യോച്ചൈർവിനിഹിതം അലംകാരവിധയേ ।
നൃഭിഃ പ്രാണത്രാണപ്രവണമതിഭിഃ കൈശ്ചിദധുനാ
നമദ്ഭിഃ കഃ പുംസാം അയം അതുലദര്പജ്വരഭരഃ ॥ 3.60 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
സ - he
ജാതഃ - born
കോഽപി - someone indeed
ആസീത് - was
മദന - Cupid (desire)
രിപുഃ - enemy (i.e., Shiva) (in verse: മദനരിപുണാ)
മൂര്ധ്നി - on the head
ധവലം - white
കപാലം - skull
യസ്യ - whose
ഉച്ചൈഃ - high; aloft
വിനിഹിതം - placed; set
അലംകാരഃ - ornament
വിധിഃ - purpose; method (in verse: വിധയേ = for the purpose of)
നൃഭിഃ - by men
പ്രാണ - life-breath; life
ത്രാണ - protection; saving
പ്രവണ - inclined toward
മതിഭിഃ - by minds
കൈശ്ചിത് - by some people
അധുനാ - now
നമദ്ഭിഃ - by those bowing
കഃ - what?
പുംസാം - of people
അയം - this
അതുല - incomparable
ദര്പഃ - pride
ജ്വരഃ - fever
ഭരഃ - burden

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
Truly someone was born whose white skull, after death, is placed high on Shiva's head as an ornament. But today, with minds bent on saving their own lives, some people bow down (to the proud). What is this unbearable burden of pride-fever among men?

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse contrasts two kinds of "life-preservation". One person lives so fearlessly and meaningfully that even death becomes a mark of honor - symbolized by the skull being an ornament for Shiva, the destroyer of desire. Others, frightened about protecting their lives, end up bowing to arrogant people and feeding their pride. Bhartruhari calls it ദര്പ-ജ്വര - a fever of pride that spreads through social fear. Seen through വിവേക (discernment), this is an invitation to let വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion) arise from understanding, not from bitterness.

This is visible wherever fear drives flattery: tolerating abuse to keep a job, praising the unethical to stay safe, shrinking truth to avoid conflict. The verse is not asking for reckless rebellion; it is asking for inner courage. When the mind has വൈരാഗ്യ (non-clinging), it can act with integrity because it is not hypnotized by loss.

Practice: identify one place where fear makes you flatter or hide truth. Take one small step toward honesty with safety: set a boundary, speak factually, or step away from a degrading dynamic. Build inner strength through steady practice, so your dignity is not hostage to external power.

പരേഷാം ചേതാംസി പ്രതിദിവസം ആരാധ്യ ബഹുധാ
പ്രസാദം കിം നേതും വിശസി ഹൃദയ ക്ലേശകലിതമ് ।
പ്രസന്നേ ത്വയ്യംതഃസവയമുദിതചിംതാമണിഗണോ
വിവിക്തഃ സംകല്പഃ കിം അഭിലഷിതം പുഷ്യതി ന തേ ॥ 3.61 ॥

ഛംദഃ (മാത്രാ-ചംദസ്): This is in a മാത്രാ-based Chandas/Meter (not a fixed അക്ഷര-count വൃത്ത): in this verse, the written segments carry approximately 24 + 20 + 21 + 18 മാത്രാഃ (total 83); treat ലഘു=1 മാത്രാ and ഗുരു=2 മാത്രാഃ, and keep the natural pauses at the segment ends marked by `।`/`॥` (do not confuse ദംഡ with internal യതി).

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
പര - others'
ചേതഃ - mind/heart (in verse: ചേതാംസി = minds)
പ്രതിദിവസം - day by day
ആരാധ്യ - pleasing; propitiating
ബഹുധാ - in many ways
പ്രസാദം - favor; satisfaction
കിമ് - why?
നേതും - to bring about
വിശസി - you enter
ഹൃദയ - O heart/mind
ക്ലേശ - distress; misery
കലിതം - filled with
പ്രസന്നേ - when calm/clear
ത്വയി - in you
അംതഃ - within
സ്വയം - of itself; naturally
ഉദിത - arisen
ചിംതാമണി - wish-fulfilling gem
ഗണഃ - group; collection
വിവിക്തഃ - secluded; solitary
സംകല്പഃ - intention; resolve
കിമ് - what?
അഭിലഷിതം - desired
പുഷ്യതി - nourishes; brings about
ന - not
തേ - for you

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
O mind, why do you enter into distress day after day, in so many ways, just to win the favor of other people's minds? When you are calm within, a whole cluster of wish-fulfilling gems arises of itself; with a clear solitary resolve, what desired thing will you not obtain?

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
This is a direct critique of people-pleasing. Trying to manage others' minds every day is endless labor and endless anxiety. Bhartruhari points to a different source of power: inner clarity. When the mind is പ്രസന്ന (clear and serene), good ideas, right timing, and right resolve arise naturally - like ചിംതാമണി (wish-fulfilling gems) within.

In modern life, much burnout comes from social management: keeping everyone happy, curating an image, seeking approval, negotiating status. The verse suggests that true effectiveness comes from inward steadiness, not outward appeasement. When you stop trying to control everyone else's perception, you recover energy for what you can actually shape: your actions and your attention. The GItA frames this steadiness as സമത്വ (even-mindedness): action continues, but the inner demand for guaranteed outcomes is relaxed.

Practice: choose one relationship or context where you habitually appease. For a week, replace one act of appeasement with one act of clean communication. Spend the saved mental energy on quiet focus - study, meditation, or skill. The mind becomes powerful when it is not scattered across other people's approval.

സത്യാം ഏവ ത്രിലോകീസരിതി ഹരശിരശ്ചുംബിനീവച്ഛടായാം
സദ്വൃത്തിം കല്പയംത്യാം ബടവിടപഭവൈർവല്കലൈഃ സത്ഫലൈശ്ച ।
കോഽയം വിദ്വാന്വിപത്തിജ്വരജനിതരുജാതീവദുഃഖാസികാനാം
വക്ത്രം വീക്ഷേത ദുഃസ്ഥേ യദി ഹി ന വിഭൃയാത്സ്വേ കുടുംബേഽനുകംപാമ് ॥ 3.61.1 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
സത്യാം - when present; while it exists
ഏവ - indeed
ത്രിലോകീ - the three worlds
സരിത് - river
ത്രിലോകീസരിതി - in the river of the three worlds (Ganga)
ഹരഃ - Shiva
ശിരഃ - head
ചുംബിനീ - kissing; touching
വത് - as if
ച്ഛടാ - spray; stream; cascade
ച്ഛടായാം - in the spray/stream (loc.)
സത് - good; virtuous
വൃത്തിഃ - livelihood; way of living
സദ്വൃത്തിം - a good (simple/virtuous) livelihood
കല്പയംത്യാം - while providing; while arranging
വട - banyan tree
വിടപഃ - tree; branch
പ്രഭവൈഃ - arising from; produced by
വല്കലൈഃ - with bark-cloths
സത്ഫ്ഹലൈഃ - with good fruits
ച - and
കഃ - who?
അയം - this
വിദ്വാന് - wise person
വിപത്തി - calamity; misfortune
ജ്വരഃ - fever
ജനിത - produced by
രുജാ - pain; illness
അതീവ - exceedingly
ദുഃകാസികാനാം - of those who "cough" grief (sorrowful, miserly faces)
വക്ത്രം - face
വീക്ഷേത - would look at
ദുഃസ്ഥേ - when in distress
യദി - if
ഹി - indeed
ന - not
വിഭൃയാത് - would bear; would carry
സ്വേ - in one's own
കുടുംബേ - family
അനുകംപാം - compassion

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
When the sacred river of the three worlds is present, its spray touching Shiva's head, and when a good livelihood can be arranged from tree-bark and good fruits, what wise person would, in distress, look at the miserable faces of those who "cough" grief as if stricken by the fever of misfortune - unless he had compassion for his own family?

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
This verse sits close to the earlier themes about begging and dignity. It points out that nature provides a sufficient, even sacred, way of living: water, fruit, bark, and simplicity. So why endure the humiliation of appealing to people whose faces become pained and resentful when asked to give? The only excuse offered is അനുകംപാ (compassion) for one's family - a recognition that duty can sometimes force hard choices. Seen through വിവേക (discernment), this is an invitation to let വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion) arise from understanding, not from bitterness.

The modern application is not "run to the forest", but "reduce dependence". When your needs are inflated, you must endure miserable transactions: pleading, flattering, and dealing with resentment. When your needs are simpler, you can keep dignity and choose relationships freely. The verse also reminds us to be on the other side: do we become a ദുഃകാസികാ (one who coughs grief) when asked to help, or do we give with grace?

Practice: simplify one need that forces you into degrading interactions. Also, practice giving: support someone quietly, without making them feel small. Compassion should not only be for one's own family; it should expand into a culture of dignified mutual support.

പരിഭ്രമസി കിം മുധാ ക്വചന ചിത്ത വിശ്രാമ്യതാം
സ്വയം ഭവതി യദ്യഥാ ഭവതി തത്തഥാ നാന്യഥാ ।
അതീതം അനനുസ്മരന്നപി ച ഭാവ്യസംകല്പയന്നതര്കിത
സമാഗമാനുഭവാമി ഭോഗനാഹമ് ॥ 3.62 ॥

ഛംദഃ (മാത്രാ-ചംദസ്): This is in a മാത്രാ-based Chandas/Meter (not a fixed അക്ഷര-count വൃത്ത): in this verse, the written segments carry approximately 20 + 21 + 23 + 17 മാത്രാഃ (total 81); treat ലഘു=1 മാത്രാ and ഗുരു=2 മാത്രാഃ, and keep the natural pauses at the segment ends marked by `।`/`॥` (do not confuse ദംഡ with internal യതി).

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
പരിഭ്രമസി - you wander about; you roam
കിമ് - why?
മുധാ - in vain; uselessly
ക്വചന - somewhere; anywhere
ചിത്ത - O mind
വിശ്രാമ്യതാം - let (it) rest; rest
സ്വയം - by itself; of its own accord
യദ്യഥാ - as (it is); in whatever way
ഭവതി - happens; becomes
തത്തഥാ - just so; accordingly
ന - not
അന്യഥാ - otherwise (in verse: നാന്യഥാ)
അതീതം - the past
അനനുസ്മരന് - not recalling; not brooding on
അപി - even (in verse: അനനുസ്മരന്നപി)
ച - and
ഭാവ്യം - the future
സംകല്പയന് - imagining; planning; projecting
അതര്കിത - unplanned; unexpected; not reasoned out
സമാഗമാന് - arrivals; events as they come
അനുഭവാമി - I experience
ഭോഗാന് - enjoyments; experiences (in verse: ഭോഗനാഹം = ഭോഗാന് അഹം)
അഹം - I

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
Mind, why wander pointlessly? Rest somewhere. Whatever happens, happens of its own accord; it cannot be otherwise. Not replaying the past and not scripting the future, I taste the enjoyments that arrive unplanned.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
This verse is not laziness; it is release from useless mental roaming. The mind runs because it assumes, "If I think enough, I can control the flow." Bhartruhari says: events arise as they arise; your freedom lies not in controlling everything, but in not being dragged around by memory and projection. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

A lot of suffering today is "time-travel in thought": replaying what should have been said, and rehearsing what might go wrong. The verse points to a calmer skill: accept the present fact, respond to it, and stop paying interest on imaginary futures. This is close to the Gita's യദ്റ്ച്ചാലാഭസംതുഷ്ടഃ (content with what comes unasked): not passive, but unneurotic.

Practice: when you notice worry spiraling, name the direction: "past" or "future". Then return to one simple present action (one email, one apology, one walk, one page of study). If you can do something, do it; if you cannot, drop the fantasy of control. Over time, this trains ഉപേക്ഷാ (steady equanimity) without becoming indifferent.

ഏതസ്മാദ്വിരമേംദ്രിയാര്ഥഗഹനാദായാസകാദാശ്രയശ്രേയോ
മാര്ഗം അശേഷദുഃഖശമനവ്യാപാരദക്ഷം ക്ഷണാത് ।
സ്വാത്മീഭാവം ഉപൈഹി സംത്യജ നിജാം കല്ലോലലോലം ഗതിം
മാ ഭൂയോ ഭജ ഭംഗുരാം ഭവരതിം ചേതഃ പ്രസീദാധുനാ ॥ 3.63 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ഏതസ്മാത് - therefore; from this
വിരമ - stop; turn away (imperative)
ഇംദ്രിയ - senses
അര്ഥഃ - objects; aims
ഇംദ്രിയാര്ഥഃ - sense-objects
ഗഹനാത് - from the thicket/maze; from the dense tangle
ആയാസകാത് - from the exhausting labor
ആശ്രയ - take refuge in; rely on
ശ്രേയഃ - highest good; welfare
മാര്ഗം - path
ശ്രേയോമാര്ഗം - the path of highest good
അശേഷ - all; without remainder
ദുഃഖ - sorrow; suffering
ശമന - pacifying; removing
വ്യാപാര - activity; work
ദക്ഷം - capable; skillful
ക്ഷണാത് - in a moment; instantly
സ്വാത്മീഭാവം - the state of one's own Self
ഉപൈഹി - approach; attain (imperative)
സംത്യജ - abandon; give up (imperative)
നിജാം - your own
കല്ലോല - wave
ലോലാം - restless; unsteady
ഗതിം - movement; course
മാ - do not
ഭൂയഃ - again
ഭജ - resort to; cling to; pursue
ഭംഗുരാം - fragile; transient
ഭവ - worldly existence
രതിം - delight; attachment
ഭവരതിം - delight in worldly existence
ചേതഃ - O mind
പ്രസീദ - be calm; be clear (in verse: പ്രസീദാധുനാ)
അധുനാ - now

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
Turn away from this exhausting tangle of sense-objects and take refuge in the path of true welfare, which can remove all sorrow in a moment. Attain your own deepest nature; abandon your wave-like restless course. Do not cling again to the fragile pleasures of worldly life. Be calm now, O mind.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
This verse is a reset button. Sense-objects are called a "thicket" because they are not one problem but a maze: each want spawns ten new wants, each comfort demands maintenance, each thrill needs escalation. Bhartruhari recommends a different refuge: the path that quiets suffering at the root by returning attention to the Self, not by decorating the prison. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

If your mind feels constantly "in motion", it is often because your inputs are endless: notifications, comparisons, appetites, debates. The teaching here is not repression; it is വിവേക (discernment): noticing what costs peace, and refusing to pay that price. Sa~gkarAcArya's ഭ്ഹജ ഗോവിംദമ് warns, മൂഢ ജഹി ധന-ആഗമ-തൃഷ്ണാം - "O deluded one, give up the thirst for wealth" - because thirst multiplies, while contentment simplifies.

Practice: pick one sense-loop that dominates you (scrolling, snacking, gossip, impulsive shopping). For seven days, reduce it by a clear rule, and fill the freed time with one inward anchor: meditation, study, or quiet walking. The mind becomes പ്രസന്ന (clear and settled) not by force, but by removing the fuel that keeps it agitated.

മോഹം മാര്ജയ താം ഉപാര്ജയ രതിം ചംദ്രാര്ധചൂഡാമണൌ
ചേതഃ സ്വര്ഗതരംഗിണീതടഭുവാം ആസംഗം അംഗീകുരു ।
കോ വാ വീചിഷു ബുദ്ബുദേഷു ച തഡില്ലേഖാസു ച ശ്രീഷു ച
ജ്വാലാഗ്രേഷു ച പന്നഗേഷു സരിദ്വേഗേഷു ച ചപ്രത്യയഃ ॥ 3.64 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
മോഹം - delusion; confusion
മാര്ജയ - cleanse; wipe away (imperative)
താം - it; that
ഉപാര്ജയ - acquire; cultivate (imperative)
രതിം - delight; love; devotion
ചംദ്ര - moon
അര്ധ - half
ചൂഡാമണി - crest-jewel; crown-ornament
ചംദ്രാര്ധചൂഡാമണൌ - in the moon-crowned Lord (locative)
ചേതഃ - O mind
സ്വര്ഗ - heaven
തരംഗിണീ - river
തട - bank; shore
ഭുവഃ - places; grounds (in verse: ഭുവാം)
സ്വര്ഗതരംഗിണീതടഭുവാം - on the banks/grounds of the heavenly river
ആസംഗം - attachment; association
അംഗീകുരു - accept; adopt (imperative)
കഃ - who?
വാ - indeed; or
വീചിഷു - in waves
ബുദ്ബുദേഷു - in bubbles
തഡില് - lightning
ലേഖാസു - in streaks/lines
തഡില്ലേഖാസു - in streaks of lightning
ശ്രീഷു - in fortune; wealth; prosperity
ജ്വാലാ - flame
അഗ്ര - tip; point
ജ്വാലാഗ്രേഷു - in flame-tips
പന്നഗേഷു - in serpents
സരിത് - river
വേഗഃ - rush; current
സരിദ്വേഗേഷു - in rushing currents of rivers
ച - and (in verse end: ചപ്രത്യയഃ = ച പ്രത്യയഃ)
പ്രത്യയഃ - trust; reliability; confidence

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
Wipe away delusion and cultivate love for the moon-crowned Lord. O mind, choose to stay by the bank of the heavenly river. For what trust can there be in waves and bubbles, streaks of lightning, fortune, flame-tips, serpents, or rushing river-currents?

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The list here is a training in perspective. Waves, bubbles, lightning, and flame-tips are not "bad"; they are simply unstable. Bhartruhari says: do not build your sense of safety on what is structurally flickering. Instead, cultivate devotion to what is steady - symbolized by the moon-crowned Shiva and the sacred river-bank, images of calm, continuity, and purification. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

This hits a common mistake: expecting permanent security from things that are, by nature, volatile - market moods, public opinion, the "high" of praise, or the thrill of novelty. When the mind keeps betting on the next surge, it lives in anxiety. The verse encourages an inner relocation: make your base in something stable - values, discipline, prayer, study - so the inevitable fluctuations do not shake you. The GItA frames this steadiness as സമത്വ (even-mindedness): action continues, but the inner demand for guaranteed outcomes is relaxed.

Practice: list three things you currently treat as "reliable" but that behave like waves or lightning (a trend, a person's approval, a fragile routine). Then choose one steady anchor to strengthen daily: a fixed meditation time, consistent sleep, or honest self-inquiry. വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion) grows when dependence on the unstable decreases.

ചേതശ്ചിംതയ മാ രമാം സകൃദിമാം അസ്ഥായിനീം ആസ്ഥയാ
ഭൂപാലഭ്രുകുടീകുടീവിഹരണവ്യാപാരപണ്യാംഗനാമ് ।
കംഥാകംചുകിനഃ പ്രവിശ്യ ഭവനദ്വാരാണി വാരാണസീരഥ്യാ
പംക്തിഷു പാണിപാത്രപതിതാം ഭിക്ഷാം അപേക്ഷാമഹേ ॥ 3.65 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ചേതഃ - O mind
ചിംതയ - reflect on; think (imperative)
മാ - do not
രമാം - Lakshmi; fortune; prosperity
സകൃത് - even once
ഇമാം - this
അസ്ഥായിനീം - unstable; not staying
ആസ്ഥയാ - with dependence; with "taking refuge" in (from ആസ്ഥാ)
ഭൂപാല - king
ഭ്രുകുടീ - eyebrow
കുടീ - wrinkle; frown
ഭ്രുകുടീകുടീ - the wrinkle/frown of the eyebrow
വിഹരണ - movement; play
വ്യാപാര - business; activity
പണ്യാംഗനാം - a courtesan; "woman for sale"
കംഥാ - patched cloak; rag
കംചുകിനഃ - wearing a cloak/jacket
പ്രവിശ്യ - entering
ഭവന - house
ദ്വാരാണി - doors
വാരാണസീ - Varanasi
രഥ്യാ - streets
പംക്തിഷു - in lines/rows
പാണി - hand
പാത്ര - bowl; vessel
പാണിപാത്ര - the hand as a bowl
പതിതാം - fallen into; placed into
ഭിക്ഷാം - alms
അപേക്ഷാമഹേ - we look for; we seek

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
Mind, do not rely even once on fickle fortune, which behaves like a courtesan at the business of a king's eyebrow-frown. Wearing rags and entering house-doors along the streets of Varanasi, let us seek the alms that fall into the hand used as a bowl.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
Fortune is personified as unstable and easily redirected: she goes where power gestures. The verse is a harsh way of saying: do not build your dignity and peace on wealth that depends on politics, moods, and the whims of others. If you must live simply - even by begging - let it be without self-deception: better a plain life with freedom than a "successful" life held hostage by constant insecurity. Seen through വിവേക (discernment), this is an invitation to let വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion) arise from understanding, not from bitterness.

In everyday terms, this is about not designing a life that collapses if income dips or approval fades. Some people live as if their entire self-worth is tied to a salary, a title, or a social circle. When the "king" frowns - a boss changes, a market turns, a trend shifts - the mind panics. The verse pushes toward a stronger base: live below your ego, and your ego becomes less fragile. Sa~gkarAcArya's ഭ്ഹജ ഗോവിംദമ് returns to this point often: do not postpone inner clarity for outer arrangements; convert insight into a small daily discipline.

Practice: build one layer of independence. Reduce one unnecessary expense, or create an emergency buffer, or learn one skill that makes you employable anywhere. Pair that with inner discipline: remind yourself daily that your worth is not your net worth. This is how വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion) becomes practical stability.

അഗ്രേ ഗീതം സരസകവയഃ പാര്ശ്വയോര്ദാക്ഷിണാത്യാഃ
പശ്ചാല്ലീലാവലയരണിതം ചാമരഗ്രാഹിണീനാമ് ।
യദ്യസ്ത്യേവം കുരു ഭവരസാസ്വാദനേ ലംപടത്വം
നോ ചേച്ചേതഃ പ്രവിശ സഹസാ നിർവികല്പേ സമാധൌ ॥ 3.66 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
അഗ്രേ - in front; before
ഗീതം - song; music
സരസ - tasteful; delightful
കവയഃ - poets
പാര്ശ്വയോഃ - on both sides
ദാക്ഷിണാത്യാഃ - southerners (here: skilled performers)
പശ്ചാത് - behind
ലീലാ - playful
വലയ - bangles
രണിതം - jingling; ringing
ചാമര - yak-tail fan
ഗ്രാഹിണീനാം - of those holding (women attendants)
യദി - if
അസ്തി - exists
ഏവം - thus
കുരു - do (imperative)
ഭവ - worldly existence
രസഃ - taste; flavor
ആസ്വാദനേ - in tasting/enjoying
ലംപടത്വം - greed; indulgence; lust
നോ - if not (no)
ചേതഃ - O mind
പ്രവിശ - enter (imperative)
സഹസാ - at once; quickly
നിർവികല്പേ - without mental constructions; thought-free
സമാധൌ - in samadhi; deep absorption

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
If before you there is music, skilled poets at your sides, and behind you the playful jingling of bangles of women holding fans, then go ahead and indulge in tasting worldly pleasures. If not, O mind, enter at once into thought-free absorption.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse has a deliberate edge: it exposes how conditional our "enjoyment" really is. Most pleasures require an entire stage: performers, attendants, status, and constant arranging. Bhartruhari is saying: if you truly want to play that game, do it honestly. But notice how quickly the conditions collapse - and then choose the higher option. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

In real life this resembles lifestyle-chasing: the dream of perfect ambiance, perfect company, perfect attention. When reality does not provide the full set, people feel deprived and resentful. The verse suggests a better move: stop bargaining with conditions. Either accept a simple joy, or turn inward where peace does not depend on external choreography. The GItA frames this steadiness as സമത്വ (even-mindedness): action continues, but the inner demand for guaranteed outcomes is relaxed.

Practice: notice one pleasure you keep postponing until "everything is right" - the right weekend, the right money, the right people. Try a simpler version now. Then also practice the inward option: take ten minutes daily of silent sitting with no goals. When the mind learns that it can be content without a stage, വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion) becomes natural.

പ്രാപ്താഃ ശ്രിയഃ സകലകാമദുധാസ്തതഃ കിം
ന്യസ്തം പദം ശിരസി വിദ്വിഷതാം തതഃ കിമ് ।
സംപാദിതാഃ പ്രണയിനോ വിഭവൈസ്തതഃ കിം
കല്പം സ്ഥിതാസ്തനുഭൃതാം തനവസ്തതഃ കിമ് ॥ 3.67 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
പ്രാപ്താഃ - obtained; attained
ശ്രിയഃ - prosperity; wealth; success
സകല - all
കാമ - desires
ദുഹാഃ - yielding like a milch-cow (in verse: ദുധാഃ)
സകലകാമദുധാഃ - yielding all desires (as if wish-giving)
തതഃ - then; after that
കിമ് - what? so what?
ന്യസ്തം - placed; set down
പദം - foot
ശിരസി - on the head
വിദ്വിഷതാം - of enemies
സംപാദിതാഃ - obtained; secured
പ്രണയിനഃ - lovers; affectionate ones
വിഭവൈഃ - through riches; by prosperity
കല്പം - for an aeon; for ages
സ്ഥിതാഃ - remaining; lasting
തനുഭൃതാം - of embodied beings
തനവഃ - bodies; physical frames

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
So what if you gain prosperity that seems to grant every desire? So what if enemies place a foot on your head? So what if lovers are obtained by wealth? So what if bodies could last for ages? What does it finally change?

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
Bhartruhari piles up extreme scenarios to expose a quiet truth: none of them ends dissatisfaction. Pleasure and pain, honor and humiliation, success and failure - they keep changing, and the mind keeps reacting. The verse invites you to stop treating outer outcomes as the final cure. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

This is a powerful tool against both arrogance and anxiety. When you win, ask, "Did this actually remove restlessness, or did it just distract it for a while?" When you lose, ask, "Was I making this the basis of my peace?" The Upanishads point in the same direction: ന വിത്തേന തര്പണീയോ മനുഷ്യഃ - "a person is not truly satisfied by wealth." Lasting contentment comes from loosening the need for constant external confirmation.

Practice: pick one goal you are currently treating as a "final fix". Write down the emotional need behind it (safety, love, respect). Start cultivating that need directly through habits and relationships, not only through achievement. This turns success into a bonus rather than a dependency - a concrete movement toward വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

ഭക്തിര്ഭവേ മരണജന്മഭയം ഹൃദിസ്ഥം
സ്നേഹോ ന ബംധുഷു ന മന്മഥജാ വികാരാഃ ।
സംസര്ജ ദോഷരഹിതാ വിജയാ വനാംതാ
വൈരാഗ്യം അസ്തി കിം ഇതഃ പരമര്ഥനീയമ് ॥ 3.68 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ഭക്തിഃ - devotion; heartfelt orientation
ഭവേ - may it be; let it be
മരണ - death
ജന്മ - birth
ഭയം - fear
ഹൃദി - in the heart
സ്ഥം - abiding; situated
സ്നേഹഃ - attachment; clinging affection
ന - not
ബംധുഷു - among relatives
ന - not
മന്മഥ - Cupid; lust
ജാഃ - born of
വികാരാഃ - disturbances; modifications
സംസര്ജ - social mixing/association (in verse reading: സംസര്ജ)
ദോഷ - faults; defects
രഹിതാ - free from
വിജയാ - victorious; prevailing
വനാംതാഃ - forest-solitudes; ends of the forest
വൈരാഗ്യം - dispassion; renunciation
അസ്തി - is
കിമ് - what?
ഇതഃ പരമ് - beyond this
അര്ഥനീയം - worth seeking; desirable

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
Let there be devotion, and let the awareness of birth and death sit in the heart; let there be no clinging to relatives, and no passion-born disturbances. Let solitary forest-life, free from the defects of social entanglement, prevail. What dispassion beyond this is worth seeking?

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
This verse describes the inner conditions that make freedom possible. Mortality-awareness breaks casual indulgence, devotion gives the heart direction, and reduced attachment prevents the mind from being pulled into endless emotional drama. The "forest" here is also symbolic: a setting where inputs are simple and the mind is not constantly provoked. Notice the chain Bhartruhari is pointing at: രാഗ (attachment) quietly breeds ഭയ (fear), because whatever you cling to becomes something you must protect; വൈരാഗ്യ breaks that chain.

Most people will not - and need not - abandon all relationships. The point is to loosen compulsive dependence: love without clinging, serve without being owned, and keep the mind from being enslaved by desire. This is exactly why Advaita emphasizes സാധനചതുഷ്ടയ (the fourfold disciplines): വിവേക (discernment), വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion), inner steadiness, and മുമുക്ഷുത്വ (the longing for liberation). Without some detachment, even spiritual life becomes another form of craving.

Practice: create "inner forest" time daily - a small window with no social inputs, no performance, no gossip. Use it for study, contemplation, or prayer. Also, in one relationship where attachment shows up as control, replace one controlling act with one respectful boundary. This is how renunciation becomes a living purification, not a fantasy of escape.

തസ്മാദനംതം അജരം പരമം വികാസി
തദ്ബ്രഹ്മ ചിംതയ കിം ഏഭിരസദ്വികല്പൈഃ ।
യസ്യാനുഷംഗിണ ഇമേ ഭുവനാധിപത്യഭോഗാദയഃ
കൃപണലോകമതാ ഭവംതി ॥ 3.69 ॥

ഛംദഃ (മാത്രാ-ചംദസ്): This is in a മാത്രാ-based Chandas/Meter (not a fixed അക്ഷര-count വൃത്ത): in this verse, the written segments carry approximately 16 + 16 + 23 + 12 മാത്രാഃ (total 67); treat ലഘു=1 മാത്രാ and ഗുരു=2 മാത്രാഃ, and keep the natural pauses at the segment ends marked by `।`/`॥` (do not confuse ദംഡ with internal യതി).

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
തസ്മാത് - therefore
അനംതം - endless; infinite
അജരം - unaging; undecaying
പരമം - supreme
വികാസി - expansive; ever-unfolding
തദ് - that
ബ്രഹ്മ - the Supreme Reality
ചിംതയ - contemplate (imperative)
കിമ് - why?
ഏഭിഃ - with these
അസത് - unreal; insubstantial
വികല്പൈഃ - imaginations; mental constructions
യസ്യ - for whom; of whom
അനുഷംഗിണഃ - attendant; following along
ഇമേ - these
ഭുവന - world
അധിപത്യ - sovereignty; lordship
ഭോഗാദയഃ - pleasures and the like
കൃപണ - petty; miserly; small-minded
ലോക - people; world
മതാഃ - considered; regarded
ഭവംതി - become

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
Therefore contemplate the infinite, ageless, supremely expansive Reality - why occupy yourself with insubstantial mental fancies? For one centered in that, even sovereignty over worlds and all pleasures are regarded as trifles by ordinary people.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse names the true replacement for craving: not a new object, but a new center. When the mind tastes something deeper than pleasure - clarity, freedom, the sense of the unconditioned - the old prizes naturally shrink. That is why Bhartruhari calls worldly fantasies അസത് (not solid): they are loud, but they do not deliver lasting fullness. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

This is psychologically visible too. When inner meaning is absent, external domination and entertainment feel necessary; when inner meaning is present, you may still act in the world, but the hunger for status fades. Schopenhauer notes that desire keeps the will in perpetual dissatisfaction; Advaita goes further by pointing to the Self as already whole. The well-known summary ബ്രഹ്മ സത്യം ജഗന്മിഥ്യാ is not a rejection of life; it is a refusal to mistake appearances for the final refuge.

Practice: set one daily reminder that reorients the mind before it spirals into comparison. It can be a short reading, a mantra, or a silent pause. Then, notice one recurring fantasy (power, recognition, revenge) and ask: "If I got this, would restlessness end?" Let that question weaken the spell. This is how വിവേക (discernment) matures into steady വൈരാഗ്യ.

പാതാലം ആവിശസി യാസി നഭോ വിലംഘ്യ
ദിങ്മംഡലം ഭ്രമസി മാനസ ചാപലേന ।
ഭ്രാംത്യാപി ജാതു വിമലം കഥം ആത്മനീനം
ന ബ്രഹ്മ സംസരസി നിർവൃതിം ഏഷി യേന ॥ 3.70 ॥

ഛംദഃ (മാത്രാ-ചംദസ്): This is in a മാത്രാ-based Chandas/Meter (not a fixed അക്ഷര-count വൃത്ത): in this verse, the written segments carry approximately 19 + 17 + 19 + 17 മാത്രാഃ (total 72); treat ലഘു=1 മാത്രാ and ഗുരു=2 മാത്രാഃ, and keep the natural pauses at the segment ends marked by `।`/`॥` (do not confuse ദംഡ with internal യതി).

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
പാതാലം - the netherworld
ആവിശസി - you enter
യാസി - you go
നഭഃ - sky; space (in verse: നഭോ)
വിലംഘ്യ - leaping across; crossing over
ദിങ് - directions
മംഡലം - circle; sphere
ദിങ്മംഡലം - the horizon; the sphere of directions
ഭ്രമസി - you roam; you wander
മാനസ - O mind
ചാപലേന - with fickleness; restlessly
ഭ്രാംതി - error; delusion
അപി - even (in verse: ഭ്രാംത്യാപി)
ജാതു - ever; at any time
വിമലം - pure; stainless
കഥം - how?
ആത്മനീനം - belonging to the Self; inward
ന - not
ബ്രഹ്മ - the Supreme Reality
സംസരസി - you roam about; you wander
നിർവൃതിം - peace; release; cessation of suffering
ഏഷി - you would attain; you would go to
യേന - by which

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
You dive into the depths, leap into the sky, and roam the horizon with restless fickleness. Even while wandering this way, how do you not turn to the pure inner Reality by which you would attain true peace?

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse is a portrait of distraction as "spiritual travel". The mind can roam endlessly - places, ideas, arguments, ambitions - and still avoid the one direction that matters: inward. Bhartruhari calls the goal വിമല (stainless) and ആത്മനീന (belonging to the Self): it is not somewhere else, it is the clarity that is closest.

This also applies to knowledge-seeking that never becomes self-knowledge. You can read hundreds of books, scroll endless opinions, or chase novelty, and yet remain restless because the center has not been addressed. Krishnamurti often points out that the observer must be understood; without that, every outer search becomes another escape. The verse asks: are you using movement to avoid stillness? The GItA frames this steadiness as സമത്വ (even-mindedness): action continues, but the inner demand for guaranteed outcomes is relaxed.

Practice: once a day, replace one "search" with one "return". Instead of looking for the next argument or the next plan, sit quietly for ten minutes and watch the restlessness itself. Name it as ചാപല (fickleness) and let it be seen. Over time, the mind learns the taste of നിർവൃതി (quiet release) that no travel can give.

കിം വേദൈഃ സ്മൃതിഭിഃ പുരാണപഠനൈഃ ശാസ്ത്രൈര്മഹാവിസ്തരൈഃ
സ്വര്ഗഗ്രാമകുടീനിവാസഫലദൈഃ കര്മക്രിയാവിഭ്രമൈഃ ।
മുക്ത്വൈകം ഭവദുഃഖഭാരരചനാവിധ്വംസകാലാനലം
സ്വാത്മാനംദപദപ്രവേശകലനം ശേസൈർവാണിഗ്വൃത്തിഭിഃ ॥ 3.71 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
കിമ് - what? what use?
വേദൈഃ - with the Vedas
സ്മൃതിഭിഃ - with the SmRtis
പുരാണ - the PurANas
പഠനൈഃ - by reciting/reading
ശാസ്ത്രൈഃ - with treatises; scriptures
മഹാവിസ്തരൈഃ - with great elaborations
സ്വര്ഗ - heaven
ഗ്രാമ - region; "settlement" (here: heavenly realms)
കുടീ - hut; cottage
നിവാസഃ - residence; dwelling
ഫല - fruit; result
ദൈഃ - giving (instrumental plural)
സ്വര്ഗഗ്രാമകുടീനിവാസഫലദൈഃ - promising fruits like living in heavenly dwellings
കര്മ - ritual action
ക്രിയാ - prescribed practices
വിഭ്രമൈഃ - with bewildering bustle; with ritual "whirl"
മുക്ത്വാ - leaving aside; except for
ഏകം - the one
ഭവ - worldly existence
ദുഃഖ - suffering
ഭാര - burden
രചനാ - construction; arrangement
വിധ്വംസ - destruction
കാല - time
അനലം - fire
കാലാനലം - the "time-fire" (total destroyer)
ഭവദുഃഖഭാരരചനാവിധ്വംസകാലാനലം - the time-fire that destroys the burden-structure of worldly suffering
സ്വാത്മ - one's own Self
ആനംദ - bliss
പദ - state; abode
പ്രവേശ - entry
കലനം - bringing about; enabling
ശേശൈഃ - with the rest
വാണിഗ്വൃത്തിഭിഃ - speech used as trade/livelihood

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
What use are the Vedas, Smritis, Puranas, vast treatises, and the dizzying rituals that promise heavenly enjoyments, if they do not deliver the one thing: the fire that destroys the burden of worldly suffering and opens entry into the bliss of the Self? Everything else is just speech made into a trade.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
This is not an insult to scripture; it is a demand for its real purpose. Bhartruhari says: do not confuse means with the end. If study and ritual do not reduce bondage - the weight of fear, craving, and sorrow - then they have become decoration. The one "result" worth insisting on is inner freedom that burns the root of suffering. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

The same mistake is common today in a different form: collecting information instead of being transformed by it. You can read endlessly about meditation, philosophy, and psychology, yet remain unchanged in anger, attachment, and anxiety. Advaita calls this difference പരോക്ഷ (indirect knowledge) versus അപരോക്ഷ (direct, lived knowing). Texts point, but the seeing must happen in you.

Practice: reduce spiritual shopping. Pick one small daily discipline that directly weakens craving and strengthens clarity - self-inquiry, meditation, honest reflection, or service. Measure progress by inner signs: less reactivity, fewer compulsions, more steadiness. Let books and rituals support that fire, not replace it.

നായം തേ സമയോ രഹസ്യം അധുനാ നിദ്രാതി നാഥോ യദി
സ്ഥിത്വാ ദ്രക്ഷ്യതി കുപ്യതി പ്രഭുരിതി ദ്വാരേഷു യേഷാം വചഃ ।
ചേതസ്താനപഹായ യാഹി ഭവനം ദേവസ്യ വിശ്വേശിതുര്
നിര്ദൌവാരികനിര്ദയോക്ത്യ്അപരുഷം നിഃസൌമ്അശര്മപ്രദമ് ॥ 3.71.1 ॥

ഛംദഃ (മാത്രാ-ചംദസ്): This is in a മാത്രാ-based Chandas/Meter (not a fixed അക്ഷര-count വൃത്ത): in this verse, the written segments carry approximately 26 + 24 + 25 + 24 മാത്രാഃ (total 99); treat ലഘു=1 മാത്രാ and ഗുരു=2 മാത്രാഃ, and keep the natural pauses at the segment ends marked by `।`/`॥` (do not confuse ദംഡ with internal യതി).

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ന - not
അയം - this
തേ - for you
സമയഃ - time; occasion (in verse: സമയോ)
രഹസ്യം - secret
അധുനാ - now
നിദ്രാതി - sleeps
നാഥഃ - the Lord; master
യദി - if
സ്ഥിത്വാ - having waited; having stood
ദ്രക്ഷ്യതി - will see
കുപ്യതി - will become angry
പ്രഭുഃ - the master
ഇതി - thus
ദ്വാരേഷു - at the doors
യേഷാം - of whom
വചഃ - words
ചേതഃ - O mind
താന് - those
അപഹായ - leaving aside
യാഹി - go (imperative)
ഭവനം - abode; house
ദേവസ്യ - of the Lord
വിശ്വേശിതുഃ - of the Lord of the universe (വിശ്വേശ്വര)
നിര് - without
ദൌവാരിക - doorkeeper; gatekeeper
നിര്ദൌവാരികം - without gatekeepers
നിര്ദയ - merciless; heartless
ഉക്തി - speech; words
നിര്ദയോക്ത്യാ - by merciless words (in verse: നിര്ദയോക്ത്യ്)
അപരുഷം - not harsh; gentle
സൌമ്യ - gentle; soothing (in verse: സൌമ്അ)
ശര്മ - refuge; comfort
പ്രദം - granting; giving

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
This is not your time, and it is no secret: "If the Lord is sleeping now, he will wake, see you, and get angry," say those who stand at the doors. O mind, leave them and go to the Lord of the universe, whose house has no gatekeepers, no harsh words, and gives gentle refuge.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse mocks gatekeeping in devotion. Some people build an entire business of "access": they decide when you may approach, how you must behave, and they keep you anxious with threats. Bhartruhari says: do not let your mind be bullied. Go to the true source - the വിശ്വേശ്വര (Lord of all) - where there is no cruelty, only refuge. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

This applies far beyond temples. Many goals in life have "door-people": social circles, bureaucracies, inner critics, and even family voices that say, "Not now, you will be punished." Sometimes these warnings are practical; often they are just control. The verse recommends courage: do not hand over your direction to those who thrive on your hesitation. The GItA frames this steadiness as സമത്വ (even-mindedness): action continues, but the inner demand for guaranteed outcomes is relaxed.

Practice: identify one gatekeeper voice in you - a fear that keeps you from prayer, study, or a needed life change. Write it down. Then take one small direct step that does not require anyone's permission: a sincere prayer, a ten-minute sit, an honest conversation, a job application. അനുസംധാന becomes real when you stop waiting at the wrong doors.

യതോ മേരുഃ ശ്രീമാന്നിപതതി യുഗാംതാഗ്നിവലിതഃ
സമുദ്രാഃ ശുഷ്യംതി പ്രചുരമകരഗ്രാഹനിലയാഃ ।
ധരാ ഗച്ഛത്യംതം ധരണിധരപാദൈരപി ധൃതാ
ശരീരേ കാ വാര്താ കരികലഭകര്ണാഗ്രചപലേ ॥ 3.72 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
യതഃ - when; since
മേരുഃ - Mount Meru
ശ്രീമാന് - glorious; splendid
നിപതതി - falls
യുഗ - age; world-cycle
അംത - end
അഗ്നി - fire
യുഗാംതാഗ്നിവലിതഃ - surrounded by the end-of-age fire
സമുദ്രാഃ - oceans
ശുഷ്യംതി - dry up
പ്രചുര - abundant; full of
മകര - crocodiles (aquatic monsters)
ഗ്രാഹ - sharks; sea-creatures
നിലയാഃ - abodes; homes
പ്രചുരമകരഗ്രാഹനിലയാഃ - whose homes are full of crocodiles and sharks
ധരാ - the earth
ഗച്ഛതി - goes
അംതം - to the end
ധരണി - earth
ധര - mountain; "holder"
പാദൈഃ - by the feet
അപി - even
ധൃതാ - held up
ശരീരേ - in/for the body
കാ - what?
വാര്താ - news; story; certainty
കരി - elephant
കലഭ - baby elephant
കര്ണ - ear
അഗ്ര - tip
ചപല - unsteady; fickle
കരികലഭകര്ണാഗ്രചപലേ - fickle like the tip of a baby elephant's ear

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
When even the glorious Meru falls at the end of an age, when oceans dry up despite being homes to countless sea-creatures, and when the earth itself reaches its end though supported by mountains - what certainty can there be about this body, fickle as the tip of a baby elephant's ear?

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
Bhartruhari uses cosmic imagery to make one point unavoidable: impermanence is not an exception; it is the rule. If the grandest structures dissolve, then the body - delicate, aging, easily injured - cannot be treated as a permanent refuge. The verse is meant to loosen the instinct to cling. Seen through വിവേക (discernment), this is an invitation to let വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion) arise from understanding, not from bitterness.

This does not mean neglecting health; it means right-sizing it. Much anxiety comes from treating the body as identity and the world as a guarantee. The verse encourages a wiser investment: care for the body as an instrument, but place your deepest trust in what is not destroyed by time - clarity, character, and inner freedom. This is the അനിത്യതാ (impermanence) reflection that Sa~gkarAcArya uses to awaken വൈരാഗ്യ: seeing change clearly, we stop demanding permanent comfort from it.

Practice: do one action that respects the body (sleep, food, movement) and one action that prepares for its impermanence (forgiveness, simplification, spiritual practice). Keep a short daily reminder: "Everything changes; what will I build that remains?" This is the seed of വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion) without despair.

ഗാത്രം സംകുചിതം ഗതിർവിഗലിതാ ഭ്രഷ്ടാ ച ദംതാവലിര്
ദൃഷ്ടിര്നക്ഷ്യതി വര്ധതേ ബധിരതാ വക്ത്രം ച ലാലായതേ ।
വാക്യം നാദ്രിയതേ ച ബാംധവജനോ ഭാര്യാ ന ശുശ്രൂഷതേ
ഹാ കഷ്ടം പുരുഷസ്യ ജീര്ണവയസഃ പുത്രോഽപ്യമിത്രായതേ ॥ 3.73 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ഗാത്രം - limbs; body
സംകുചിതം - contracted; shriveled
ഗതിഃ - gait; movement
വിഗലിതാ - slipped; weakened; faltering
ഭ്രഷ്ടാ - fallen; broken down
ച - and
ദംതാവലിഃ - row of teeth (in verse-sandhi: ദംതാവലിര്)
ദൃഷ്ടിഃ - eyesight (in verse-sandhi: ദൃഷ്ടിര്)
നക്ഷ്യതി - will decay; will be lost
വര്ധതേ - increases
ബധിരതാ - deafness
വക്ത്രം - mouth
ച - and
ലാലായതേ - drools
വാക്യം - speech; words
ന - not (in verse: നാദ്രിയതേ = ന ആദ്രിയതേ)
ആദ്രിയതേ - is respected; is valued
ബാംധവ - relative; kinsman
ജനഃ - people (in verse: ബാംധവജനോ)
ഭാര്യാ - wife
ന - not
ശുശ്രൂഷതേ - serves; attends
ഹാ - alas!
കഷ്ടം - misery; hard condition
പുരുഷസ്യ - of a man
ജീര്ണ - old; worn out
വയസഃ - of age
പുത്രഃ - son (in verse-sandhi: പുത്രോ)
അപി - even (in verse: ഽപ്യ്)
അമിത്രായതേ - becomes hostile; turns into an enemy

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
The limbs shrink, the gait falters, the teeth fail; eyesight decays, deafness grows, and the mouth drools. One's words are ignored, relatives do not value you, the wife does not attend - alas, in old age even the son can turn hostile.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
This verse is intentionally blunt so that we stop fantasizing about permanence. It shows old age not only as physical decline, but as social loneliness: the world that once depended on you can easily forget you, and relationships can become strained when roles reverse. Bhartruhari is not shaming the old; he is warning the young. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

For daily life, the lesson is preparation and humility. Do not build your identity on being useful, admired, or feared, because those supports can vanish quickly. Invest early in inner resources: skills, friendships based on character, and spiritual steadiness. Also, treat elders with dignity; today's youth is tomorrow's decline. The GItA frames this steadiness as സമത്വ (even-mindedness): action continues, but the inner demand for guaranteed outcomes is relaxed.

Practice: if you are young, begin one discipline now that your future self will thank you for: savings, health, learning, and a daily spiritual anchor. If you care for elders, offer respect without impatience. The deeper practice is to cultivate അനാസക്തി (non-clinging) so that your peace does not depend on how others respond to you.

വര്ണം സിതം ശിരസി വീക്ഷ്യ ശിരോരുഹാണാം
സ്ഥാനം ജരാപരിഭവസ്യ തദാ പുമാംസമ് ।
ആരോപിതാംസ്ഥിശതകം പരിഹൃത്യ യാംതി
ചംഡാലകൂപം ഇവ ദൂരതരം തരുണ്യഃ ॥ 3.74 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
വര്ണം - color
സിതം - white
ശിരസി - on the head
വീക്ഷ്യ - seeing; having seen
ശിരോരുഹാണാം - of the hairs on the head
സ്ഥാനം - state; condition
ജരാ - old age
പരിഭവഃ - humiliation; distressing decline
ജരാപരിഭവസ്യ - of the humiliation/decline of old age
തദാ - then
പുമാംസം - a man
ആരോപിത - mounted; placed; characterized by
അസ്ഥി - bone
ശതകം - a hundred
ആരോപിതാംസ്ഥിശതകം - "covered with" hundreds of bones
പരിഹൃത്യ - abandoning; leaving behind
യാംതി - they go
ചംഡാലകൂപം - an outcaste's well
ഇവ - as if; like
ദൂരതരം - very far
തരുണ്യഃ - young women

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
Seeing white hair on a man's head and the onset of the humiliations of old age, young women abandon him and go far away - as if he were an outcaste's well ringed with bones.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse is an unsentimental reminder that attraction is often conditional. Youth is drawn to youth; beauty is drawn to beauty. When signs of aging appear, the mind that was once enchanted can become repelled. Bhartruhari uses an extreme image to break romantic illusions and push the seeker toward a more stable source of fulfillment. Seen through വിവേക (discernment), this is an invitation to let വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion) arise from understanding, not from bitterness.

This applies in subtler forms today as well: ageism, status shifts, and changing social attention. If your self-worth is tied to being desired, admired, or socially "in", you will suffer as time moves. The antidote is to build relationships on character and shared values, and to build your inner life on something time cannot take. This is the അനിത്യതാ (impermanence) reflection that Sa~gkarAcArya uses to awaken വൈരാഗ്യ: seeing change clearly, we stop demanding permanent comfort from it.

Practice: notice where you depend on being seen a certain way. Strengthen one quality that does not age: kindness, integrity, or skill. If you are in relationship, invest in companionship beyond appearance - shared service, shared learning, shared silence. This is how വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion) becomes maturity rather than cynicism.

യാവത്സ്വസ്ഥം ഇദം ശരീരം അരുജം യാവച്ച ദൂരേ ജരാ
യാവച്ചേംദ്രിയശക്തിരപ്രതിഹതാ യാവത്ക്ഷയോ നായുഷഃ ।
ആത്മശ്രേയസി താവദേവ വിദുഷാ കാര്യഃ പ്രയത്നോ മഹാന്
സംദീപ്തേ ഭവനേ തു കൂപഖനനം പ്രത്യുദ്യമഃ കീദൃശഃ ॥ 3.75 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
യാവത് - as long as
സ്വസ്ഥം - healthy; well
ഇദം - this
ശരീരം - body
അരുജം - free from illness/infirmity
യാവത് - as long as
ച - and
ദൂരേ - far away
ജരാ - old age
യാവത് - as long as
ഇംദ്രിയ - senses
ശക്തിഃ - strength; capacity
അപ്രതിഹതാ - unobstructed; unimpaired
യാവത് - as long as
ക്ഷയഃ - decline; waning
ന - not
ആയുഷഃ - of life
ആത്മ - the Self
ശ്രേയസി - in the highest good
താവതേവ - only until then
വിദുഷാ - by the wise
കാര്യഃ - should be done
പ്രയത്നഃ - effort
മഹാന് - great
സംദീപ്തേ - when blazing
ഭവനേ - in the house
തു - but
കൂപ - well
ഖനനം - digging
പ്രത്യുദ്യമഃ - effort; attempt
കീദൃശഃ - what kind? what use?

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
As long as this body is healthy and free from infirmity, as long as old age is far, as long as the senses are unimpaired and life has not begun to wane - only till then should the wise make great effort toward the highest good. What use is digging a well when the house is on fire?

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
This verse is urgency with compassion. Bhartruhari says: do the essential work while you still have strength. Waiting for a perfect time is self-deception; crisis arrives suddenly. The "well" symbolizes all last-minute remedies and late spiritual regrets that come when the house is already burning. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

In daily life, this applies to health, relationships, and inner freedom. People postpone medical care, honest conversations, and spiritual practice until problems become emergencies. The verse asks for a reversal: treat the present as the right time. In the language of വിവേക (discernment), do the highest-priority work first.

Practice: choose one "highest good" action you keep delaying - meditation, study, repairing a relationship, or simplifying life. Do a small version today, not tomorrow. Then schedule it into your week as non-negotiable. വൈരാഗ്യ grows not from dramatic renunciation, but from consistent priority.

തപസ്യംതഃ സംതഃ കിം അധിനിവസാമഃ സുരനദീം
ഗുണോദാരാംദാരാനുത പരിചരാമഃ സവിനയമ് ।
പിബാമഃ ശാസ്ത്രൌഘാനുതവിവിധകാവ്യാമൃതരസാന്
ന വിദ്മഃ കിം കുര്മഃ കതിപയനിമേഷായുഷി ജനേ ॥ 3.76 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
തപസ്യംതഃ - practicing austerity; disciplined striving
സംതഃ - good people; seekers
കിമ് - what?
അധിനിവസാമഃ - shall we live/dwell?
സുരനദീം - the heavenly river
ഗുണ - virtues
ഉദാരാന് - noble; generous
ദാരാന് - wives
ഉത - or else
പരിചരാമഃ - shall we serve?
സവിനയം - humbly; with respect
പിബാമഃ - shall we drink?
ശാസ്ത്ര - scripture
ഓഘഃ - flood; stream; multitude
ശാസ്ത്രൌഘ്ഹാന് - streams/multitude of scriptures
ഉത - or
വിവിദ - various
കാവ്യ - poetry
അമൃത - nectar
രസ - essence; taste
കാവ്യാമൃതരസാന് - the nectar-essences of poetry
ന - not
വിദ്മഃ - we know
കിമ് - what
കുര്മഃ - shall we do?
കതിപയ - a few
നിമേഷ - eye-blink
ആയുഷി - in the lifespan
ജനേ - in life; in this world

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
We ascetics do not know what to do in this life that lasts only a few blinks: should we dwell by the heavenly river, or serve our virtuous wives with humility, or drink the streams of scriptures, or the nectar-essence of various poems?

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse captures a very human dilemma: too many worthy options, too little time. One can imagine a life of solitude, a life of devoted household responsibility, a life of study, or a life of refined enjoyment of art. Bhartruhari's sting is in the last line: life is only a few നിമേഷാഃ (eye-blinks). Indecision itself becomes the loss. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

This is also a modern problem of abundance. With endless content and endless "paths", people keep sampling and never committing. The verse suggests that the right response to short life is not frantic consumption but clear prioritization: choose what actually frees the mind and let other goods support that choice, not replace it. The GItA frames this steadiness as സമത്വ (even-mindedness): action continues, but the inner demand for guaranteed outcomes is relaxed.

Practice: pick one primary aim for the next 30 days (spiritual practice, service, study, or health). Commit to a daily minimum. Allow other activities, but only after the minimum is done. This simple ordering transforms scattered effort into തപസ് (disciplined heat) that produces real change.

ദുരാരാധ്യാശ്ചാമീ തുരഗചലചിത്താഃ ക്ഷിതിഭുജോ
വയം തു സ്ഥൂലേച്ഛാഃ സുമഹതി ഫലേ ബദ്ധമനസഃ ।
ജരാ ദേഹം മൃത്യുര്ഹരതി ദയിതം ജീവിതം ഇദം
സഖേ നാന്യച്ഛ്രേയോ ജഗതി വിദുഷേഽന്യത്ര തപസഃ ॥ 3.77 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ദുരാരാധ്യാഃ - hard to please; difficult to propitiate
ച - and
അമീ - these
തുരഗ - horse
ചല - moving; restless
ചിത്താഃ - minds
ക്ഷിതിഭുജാഃ - kings; rulers
വയം - we
തു - however
സ്ഥൂല - gross; coarse
ഇച്ഛാഃ - desires
സുമഹതി - very great
ഫലേ - in the result
ബദ്ധ - bound; tied
മനസഃ - minds
ജരാ - old age
ദേഹം - body
മ്റ്ത്യുഃ - death
ഹരതി - takes away
ദയിതം - dear; beloved
ജീവിതം - life
ഇദം - this
സഖേ - O friend
ന - not
അന്യത് - other
ശ്രേയഃ - good; welfare
ജഗതി - in the world
വിദുഷേ - for the wise
അന്യത്ര - other than; except
തപസഃ - austerity; disciplined practice

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
These rulers are hard to please, their minds as restless as a moving horse; and we, with coarse desires, keep our minds bound to huge results. Old age takes the body, death takes this dear life. Friend, for the wise there is no better good in the world than disciplined striving.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse is brutally practical. Chasing the favor of kings (or any powerful person) is exhausting because their minds are restless and their approval is unstable. At the same time, our own desires are "sthUla" (coarse) in the sense that they demand large outcomes. Meanwhile, time is doing its work: old age takes the body, death takes life. So the one reliable investment is തപസ് - disciplined practice that builds inner strength and reduces dependence. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

In contemporary settings, this often shows up as career and social anxiety: living for performance reviews, networking, and the fickle moods of gatekeepers. The verse does not say "quit life"; it says stop making your dignity depend on approval. When you cultivate discipline, skill, and inner steadiness, you become harder to manipulate and easier to respect - including by yourself. This is the അനിത്യതാ (impermanence) reflection that Sa~gkarAcArya uses to awaken വൈരാഗ്യ: seeing change clearly, we stop demanding permanent comfort from it.

Practice: identify one place where you flatter, compromise values, or overwork just to be liked. Replace one such action with one act of തപസ് (disciplined heat): a boundary, a truthful statement, or consistent practice. Add a daily anchor (study, meditation, exercise) that you do regardless of praise. This trains freedom in the only way it can be trained: by repetition.

മാനേ മ്ലായിനി ഖംഡിതേ ച വസുനി വ്യര്ഥേ പ്രയാതേഽര്ഥിനി
ക്ഷീണേ ബംധുജനേ ഗതേ പരിജനേ നഷ്ടേ ശനൈര്യൌവനേ ।
യുക്തം കേവലം ഏതദേവ സുധിയാം യജ്ജഹ്നുകന്യാപയഃപൂതാഗ്രാവ
ഗിരീംദ്രകംദരതടീകുംജേ നിവാസഃ ക്വചിഥ് ॥ 3.78 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
മാനേ - when honor/pride
മ്ലായിനി - withers; fades
ഖംഡിതേ - is broken; ruined
ച - and
വസുനി - when wealth
വ്യര്ഥേ - becomes useless; is squandered
പ്രയാതേ - has gone
അര്ഥിനി - when the seeker/supplicant (flatterer) departs (in verse: പ്രയാതേഽര്ഥിനി)
ക്ഷീണേ - dwindled
ബംധുജനേ - when friends/kinsmen are diminished
ഗതേ - have gone
പരിജനേ - when attendants/dependents have gone
നഷ്ടേ - are lost
ശനൈര് - slowly
യൌവനേ - when youth is lost
യുക്തം - proper; fitting
കേവലം - only
ഏതദേവ - just this
സുധിയാം - for the wise
യത് - that which
ജഹ്നുകന്യാ - the Ganga ("daughter of Jahnu")
പയഃ - water
പൂത - purified
ഗ്രാവ - rocks
പൂതാഗ്രാവ - rocks purified (by that water)
ഗിരീംദ്ര - king of mountains (Himalayas)
കംദര - cave
തടീ - slope; bank; hillside
കുംജേ - in a grove/thicket
നിവാസഃ - dwelling; residence
ക്വചിത് - somewhere

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
When honor fades, wealth is ruined, and those who once sought you disappear; when friends diminish, dependents depart, and youth slowly vanishes - the wise have only one fitting course: to live somewhere in a Himalayan cave-grove whose rocks are sanctified by the waters of the Ganga.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
This verse describes the collapse of the usual props of identity: pride, money, admirers, companions, and youth. When these fade, a person is forced to see what was real and what was borrowed. Bhartruhari says the wise do not wait for collapse; they pre-empt it by choosing simplicity and inner anchoring. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

For many people today, this happens as burnout, retirement, or a sudden change in status. When the "crowd" is gone, you discover whether you have a life or only a performance. The Himalaya and Ganga imagery points to an alternative: return to what is pure, quiet, and essential. Even if you cannot relocate physically, you can relocate psychologically by reducing dependence on applause. The GItA frames this steadiness as സമത്വ (even-mindedness): action continues, but the inner demand for guaranteed outcomes is relaxed.

Practice: create one simple refuge in your week - a "cave time" with no social validation seeking: nature walk, meditation, study, or quiet service. Also, reduce one status-expense that forces you into exhausting comparison. This is how വൈരാഗ്യ becomes freedom rather than bitterness.

രമ്യാശ്ചംദ്രമരീചയസ്തൃണവതീ രമ്യാ വനാംതസ്ഥലീ
രമ്യം സാധുസമാഗമാഗതസുഖം കാവ്യേഷു രമ്യാഃ കഥാഃ ।
കോപോപാഹിതബാഷ്പബിംദുതരലം രമ്യം പ്രിയായാ മുഖം
സർവം രമ്യം അനിത്യതാം ഉപഗതേ ചിത്തേ ന കിംചിത്പുനഃ ॥ 3.79 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
രമ്യാഃ - delightful; charming
ചംദ്ര - moon
മരീചയഃ - rays
തൃണവതീ - grassy
വനാംതസ്ഥലീ - forest ground/region
രമ്യം - delightful
സാധു - saintly person
സമാഗമ - meeting; company
ആഗത - obtained; arising from
സുഖം - joy
കാവ്യേഷു - in poetry
രമ്യാഃ - delightful
കഥാഃ - stories; narratives
കോപ - indignation; anger
ഉപാഹിത - accompanied by; suffused with
ബാഷ്പ - tears
ബിംദു - drops
തരലം - shimmering; tremulous
പ്രിയായാഃ - of the beloved
മുഖം - face
സർവം - all
രമ്യം - delightful
അനിത്യതാം - impermanence
ഉപഗതേ - when it has been realized; when it has entered
ചിത്തേ - in the mind
ന - not
കിംചിത് - anything
പുനഃ - again

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
Moonbeams on grass are charming; the forest is charming; the joy of meeting the wise is charming; stories in poetry are charming; even a beloved's face shimmering with tear-drops of indignation is charming. But once the mind has truly absorbed impermanence, nothing charms it again in the same way.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
This verse describes a shift of taste. When impermanence is only an idea, the world remains intoxicating. When impermanence becomes a felt recognition, the same things lose their spell. This is not necessarily sadness; it can be sobriety - the mind stops being bribed by surfaces. Seen through വിവേക (discernment), this is an invitation to let വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion) arise from understanding, not from bitterness.

Many people experience this after loss, illness, or deep disappointment: pleasures remain pleasant, but they no longer feel ultimate. The verse warns against clinging to charm as if it were meaning. When the mind matures, it asks for something deeper than aesthetic or emotional stimulation. This is the അനിത്യതാ (impermanence) reflection that Sa~gkarAcArya uses to awaken വൈരാഗ്യ: seeing change clearly, we stop demanding permanent comfort from it.

Practice: notice one "charm" you chase to escape discomfort - entertainment, romance, gossip, even poetic nostalgia. Enjoy it if appropriate, but do not lean on it as a refuge. Add a daily contemplation of change: remind yourself that every experience passes. Over time, this produces വൈരാഗ്യ without becoming cold.

രമ്യം ഹര്മ്യതലം ന കിം വസതയേ ശ്രവ്യം ന ഗേയാദികം
കിം വാ പ്രാണസമാസമാഗമസുഖം നൈവാധികപ്രീതയേ ।
കിംതു ഭ്രാംതപതംഗക്ഷപവനവ്യാലോലദീപാംകുരച്ഛായാ
ചംചലം ആകലയ്യ സകലം സംതോ വനാംതം ഗതാഃ ॥ 3.80 ॥

ഛംദഃ (മാത്രാ-ചംദസ്): This is in a മാത്രാ-based Chandas/Meter (not a fixed അക്ഷര-count വൃത്ത): in this verse, the written segments carry approximately 22 + 27 + 27 + 21 മാത്രാഃ (total 97); treat ലഘു=1 മാത്രാ and ഗുരു=2 മാത്രാഃ, and keep the natural pauses at the segment ends marked by `।`/`॥` (do not confuse ദംഡ with internal യതി).

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
രമ്യം - pleasant; delightful
ഹര്മ്യ - mansion; palace
തലം - terrace; floor
ന - not
കിമ് - what? (as "is it not?")
വസതയേ - for living
ശ്രവ്യം - pleasant to hear
ഗേയ - singable; music
ആദികം - and so on
കിം വാ - or what?
പ്രാണ - life
സമാ - equal to
സമാഗമ - company; meeting
സുഖം - joy
പ്രാണസമാസമാഗമസുഖം - the joy of company as dear as life
ന - not
ഏവ - indeed
അധിക - great; excessive
പ്രീതയേ - for pleasure
കിംതു - but
ഭ്രാംത - delirious; deluded; hovering
പതംഗ - moth
ക്ഷപാ - night
വന - forest
പവന - wind
ക്ഷപവനപവന - the forest-wind of the night (in verse compound)
വ്യാലോല - shaken; wavering
ദീപ - lamp
അംകുര - sprout; flame
ദീപാംകുര - lamp-flame
ച്ഛായാ - shadow
ചംചലം - fickle; unsteady
ആകലയ്യ - having understood; having realized
സകലം - all
സംതഃ - wise ones
വനാംതം - to the forest
ഗതാഃ - went

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
Isn't living on a palace-terrace delightful? Isn't music delightful? Isn't the joy of company as dear as life the greatest pleasure? Yet the wise, realizing that all this is as fickle as the shadow of a lamp-flame shaken by a night-forest wind around a hovering moth, have gone to the forest.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse concedes that comfort, music, and intimate company are genuinely pleasant. The problem is not pleasure; the problem is its instability and the dependence it creates. Bhartruhari says the wise leave not because they hate life, but because they have seen how quickly the "palace" mood collapses - like a shadow flickering with every gust in a dark forest night. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

In present-day terms, this describes the treadmill of lifestyle upgrades. People build a life that requires constant stimulation and constant income, and then feel trapped by the very comforts they chased. The verse points to another kind of wealth: സ്വാതംത്ര്യ (inner freedom). When needs are simpler, the mind has room to become quiet, and choices become less fear-driven.

Practice: run an experiment in sufficiency. For one week, reduce optional entertainment and spending, and add a daily period of quiet (walk, reading, meditation). Observe whether your nervous system becomes calmer. If it does, you have found the direction of സംതോഷ (contentment) that the verse is pointing to.

ആ സംസാരാത്ത്രിഭുവനം ഇദം ചിന്വതാം താത്താദൃങ്നൈവാസ്മാകം
നയനപദവീം ശ്രോത്രമാര്ഗം ഗതോ വാ ।
യോഽയം ധത്തേ വിഷയകരിണോ ഗാഢഗൂഢാഭിമാനക്ഷീവസ്യാംതഃ
കരണകരിണഃ സംയമാലാനലീലാമ് ॥ 3.81 ॥

ഛംദഃ (മാത്രാ-ചംദസ്): This is in a മാത്രാ-based Chandas/Meter (not a fixed അക്ഷര-count വൃത്ത): in this verse, the written segments carry approximately 29 + 18 + 30 + 17 മാത്രാഃ (total 94); treat ലഘു=1 മാത്രാ and ഗുരു=2 മാത്രാഃ, and keep the natural pauses at the segment ends marked by `।`/`॥` (do not confuse ദംഡ with internal യതി).

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ആ - from; since
സംസാരാത് - from the beginning of worldly existence
ത്രിഭുവനം - the three worlds
ഇദം - this
ചിന്വതാം - of those searching
താത - dear one; O son (in verse: താത് within താത്താദൃങ്)
താദൃങ് - like that; of that kind
ന - not
ഏവ - indeed
അസ്മാകം - of us; for us
നയന - eyes
പദവീം - range; path
ശ്രോത്ര - ear
മാര്ഗം - path; range
ഗതഃ - has gone; has reached
വാ - or
യഃ - which
അയം - this (in verse: യോഽയം)
ധത്തേ - holds; bears; places
വിഷയ - sense-objects
കരിണീ - she-elephant (feminine elephant)
വിഷയകരിണീ - the she-elephant of sense-objects (metaphor for temptations)
ഗാഢ - deep
ഗൂഢ - hidden
അഭിമാന - ego; pride
ക്ഷീവ - intoxicated
ഗാഢഗൂഢാഭിമാനക്ഷീവഃ - intoxicated by deep-hidden ego
അംതഃകരണ - inner instrument; mind
കരി - elephant
അംതഃകരണകരി - the "inner elephant" (the mind)
സംയമ - restraint; self-control
ആലാന - an elephant-post/stake (used to tie/control elephants)
ലീലാം - sport; play; function
സംയമാലാനലീലാം - the play/function of being a restraint-stake

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
From the beginning of worldly life, searching all three worlds, dear one, we have not seen or heard anything like this: the worship that acts like a restraint-stake for the inner mind, intoxicated by deep-hidden ego and drawn by the she-elephant of sense-objects.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
This verse (traditionally introduced as ശിവാര്ചനം, "worship of Shiva") praises devotion as a technology of mind-training. The mind is compared to an elephant: powerful, stubborn, and easily intoxicated by വിഷയ (sense-objects). The key image is ആലാന - the post that can steady an elephant. Worship, done sincerely, becomes that steadying center.

In everyday life, the mind also needs an ആലാന. Without a center, it runs toward cravings, anxieties, and status games. A stable practice - prayer, meditation, mantra, or disciplined values - creates a "post" that the mind can return to when it is pulled. Advaita does not deny devotion; it refines it: worship becomes a way to purify attention so that self-knowledge can dawn.

Practice: choose one simple daily act of devotion and make it non-negotiable (a short chant, a lamp, a few minutes of meditation). When you feel pulled by temptation or ego, return to that anchor immediately instead of negotiating. Over time, you will notice the elephant-mind becomes less intoxicated and more trainable - which is the practical beginning of വൈരാഗ്യ.

യദേതത്സ്വച്ഛംദം വിഹരണം അകാര്പണ്യം അശനം
സഹാര്യൈഃ സംവാസഃ ശ്രുതം ഉപശമൈകവ്രതഫലമ് ।
മനോ മംദസ്പംദം ബഹിരപി ചിരസ്യാപി വിമൃശന്ന
ജാനേ കസ്യൈഷാ പരിണതിരുദാരസ്യ തപസഃ ॥ 3.82 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
യത് - that which
ഏതത് - this
സ്വച്ഛംദം - free-willed; at one's own pleasure
വിഹരണം - wandering; moving about
അകാര്പണ്യം - without miserliness; without meanness
അശനം - eating
സഹ - with
ആര്യൈഃ - noble/saintly people
സംവാസഃ - dwelling together; company
ശ്രുതം - what is heard; sacred teaching; wisdom
ഉപശമ - quieting; cessation of agitation
ഏക - one
വ്രത - vow
ഫലം - fruit; result
ഉപശമൈകവ്രതഫലം - the fruit of the single vow of tranquility
മനഃ - mind
മംദസ്പംദം - gently pulsing; with little movement (calm)
ബഹിഃ - outwardly; externally
അപി - even
ചിരസ്യ - for a long time
വിമൃശന് - reflecting; considering
ന - not
ജാനേ - I know
കസ്യ - whose
ഏഷാ - this
പരിണതിഃ - culmination; outcome
ഉദാരസ്യ - of a great one; of lofty austerity
തപസഃ - of austerity

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
This free wandering, this eating without meanness, this company of the noble, and this learning - all yield the single fruit of tranquility. Even after long reflection, I cannot tell whose great austerity has ripened into such an outcome.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse observes that the fruit of a well-ordered life is a calm mind. Freedom of movement, simple generosity in food, good company, and study are not "luxuries"; they are conditions that reduce friction. When the mind is not constantly provoked, ഉപശമ (quieting) becomes natural. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

This is an important lesson in practice: peace is not only a mystical event; it is also the result of environment and habit. If your days are full of noise, greed, and bad company, meditation will feel like wrestling. If your days are simple, honest, and supported by wise inputs, meditation becomes easier. Spiritual life is not only about willpower; it is about choosing the right conditions. The GItA frames this steadiness as സമത്വ (even-mindedness): action continues, but the inner demand for guaranteed outcomes is relaxed.

Practice: redesign one part of your day to favor ഉപശമ. Reduce one noisy input, eat a simpler meal without guilt, and spend time with one "arya" influence (a teacher, a good book, a calm friend). The mind becomes മംദസ്പംദ (less agitated) when you stop feeding agitation.

ജീര്ണാ ഏവ മനോരഥാശ്ച ഹൃദയേ യാതം ച തദ്യൌവനം
ഹംതാംഗേഷു ഗുണാശ്ബംധ്യഫലതാം യാതാ ഗുണജ്ഞൈർവിനാ ।
കിം യുക്തം സഹസാഭ്യുപൈതി ബലവാന്കാലഃ കൃതാംതോഽക്ഷമീ
ഹാ ജ്ഞാതം മദനാംതകാംഘ്രിയുഗലം മുക്ത്വാസ്തി നാന്യോ ഗതിഃ ॥ 3.83 ॥

ഛംദഃ (മാത്രാ-ചംദസ്): This is in a മാത്രാ-based Chandas/Meter (not a fixed അക്ഷര-count വൃത്ത): in this verse, the written segments carry approximately 27 + 26 + 26 + 26 മാത്രാഃ (total 105); treat ലഘു=1 മാത്രാ and ഗുരു=2 മാത്രാഃ, and keep the natural pauses at the segment ends marked by `।`/`॥` (do not confuse ദംഡ with internal യതി).

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ജീര്ണാഃ - worn out
ഏവ - indeed
മനോരഥാഃ - fantasies; longings
ച - and
ഹൃദയേ - in the heart
യാതം - has gone
ച - and
തത് - that
യൌവനം - youth
ഹംതാ - alas!
അംഗേഷു - in the limbs/body
ഗുണാഃ - virtues
ബംധ്യ - barren
ഫല - fruit
ബംധ്യഫലതാം - barrenness/fruitlessness
യാതാഃ - have become
ഗുണജ്ഞൈഃ - by those who recognize virtue
വിനാ - without
കിമ് - what?
യുക്തം - proper
സഹസാ - suddenly; quickly
അഭ്യുപൈതി - approaches; comes near
ബലവാന് - powerful
കാലഃ - time
കൃതാംതഃ - death; the end-maker
അക്ഷമീ - unforgiving; relentless
ഹാ - alas!
ജ്ഞാതം - known; realized
മദന - Cupid; desire
അംതക - destroyer
അംഘ്രി - feet
യുഗലം - pair
മദനാംതകാംഘ്രിയുഗലം - the pair of feet of the Destroyer of desire (Shiva)
മുക്ത്വാ - leaving aside; except for
അസ്തി - there is
ന - not
അന്യാ - other
ഗതിഃ - way; refuge

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
Desires have worn out and youth has departed; virtues have become fruitless when there are no people who recognize them. Relentless death approaches quickly - what is the right course? Alas, apart from taking refuge at the feet of the Destroyer of desire, there is no other way.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse describes the pain of late realization: when the body weakens and time accelerates, old longings lose their sweetness. Even "virtue" can feel fruitless if it was secretly done for recognition. Bhartruhari then points to a refuge that does not depend on health, youth, or applause: devotion that turns the mind toward what is beyond change. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

This is also a warning to not postpone the essential. Time is അക്ഷമീ (unforgiving) - it does not negotiate. If you wait for old age to seek depth, you may find the mind too tired and habits too strong. The verse is not fatalistic; it is urgent: begin now, while strength and clarity are available.

Practice: do one act of "recognition-free" virtue this week - help without being seen, speak truth without winning applause. Also, establish a daily refuge practice (chanting, meditation, prayer) so that devotion is not a last-minute emergency. This turns മദനാംതക (the destroyer of desire) into a lived inner principle: desire loses power when the mind has a higher sweetness.

മഹേശ്വരേ വാ ജഗതാം അധീശ്വരേ
ജനാര്ദനേ വാ ജഗദ്അംതരാത്മനി ।
ന വസ്തുഭേദപ്രതിപത്തിരസ്തി മേ
തഥാപി ഭക്തിസ്തരുണേംദുശേഖരേ ॥ 3.84 ॥

ഛംദഃ (വംശസ്ഥ): This is in വംശസ്ഥ (സമ-വൃത്ത) Chandas/Meter: 4 പാദാഃ, 12 അക്ഷരാഃ per പാദ; ലഘു/ഗുരു pattern (per പാദ) is `LGLGGLLGLGLG`.

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
മഹേശ്വരേ - in Maheshvara (Shiva)
വാ - or
ജഗതാം - of the worlds
അധീശ്വരേ - in the Lord
ജനാര്ദനേ - in Janardana (Vishnu)
വാ - or
ജഗത് - world
അംതരാത്മനി - in the inner Self
ന - not
വസ്തു - thing; reality
ഭേദ - difference
പ്രതിപത്തിഃ - cognition; understanding
അസ്തി - is
മേ - for me
തഥാപി - even so
ഭക്തിഃ - devotion
തരുണ - young
ഇംദു - moon
ശേകരഃ - crested; crowned
തരുണേംദുശേഖരേ - in the moon-crested Lord (Shiva)

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
Whether it is Maheshvara, the Lord of worlds, or Janardana, the inner Self of the universe, I perceive no difference of reality. And yet my devotion is to the moon-crested one.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
This is a beautiful meeting of non-duality and devotion. The speaker says: whether you call the Supreme Maheshvara, Janardana, or the inner Self of the universe, the reality is one - there is no "thing-difference" in truth. Yet devotion still needs a form, and his heart naturally leans to the moon-crested Shiva. Seen through വിവേക (discernment), this is an invitation to let വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion) arise from understanding, not from bitterness.

In lived religion, this prevents two common errors: sectarian rigidity and vague universalism. Non-duality does not require you to reject personal devotion; it invites you to see your chosen form as a doorway to the formless. At the same time, it protects you from contempt toward other forms, because the essence is not divided. Sa~gkarAcArya's ഭ്ഹജ ഗോവിംദമ് returns to this point often: do not postpone inner clarity for outer arrangements; convert insight into a small daily discipline.

Practice: keep one ഇഷ്ടദേവതാ (chosen form of devotion) and be steady in practice. Alongside, cultivate the vision that the same Reality shines through different names and symbols. This combination - steadiness in practice and breadth in understanding - matures devotion into wisdom.

സ്ഫുരത്സ്ഫാരജ്യോത്സ്നാധവലിതതലേ ക്വാപി പുലിനേ
സുഖാസീനാഃ ശാംതധ്വംതിസു രജനീഷു ദ്യുസരിതഃ ।
ഭവാഭോഗോദ്വിഗ്നാഃ ശിവ ശിവ ശിവേത്യുച്ചവചസഃ
കദാ യാസ്യാമോഽതര്ഗതബഹുലബാഷ്പാകുലദശാമ് ॥ 3.85 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
സ്ഫുരത് - shining; flashing
സ്ഫാര - abundant; widespread
ജ്യോത്സ്നാ - moonlight
ധവലിത - whitened; bathed (in light)
തലേ - on the surface/ground
സ്ഫുരത്സ്ഫാരജ്യോത്സ്നാധവലിതതലേ - on ground whitened by spreading moonlight
ക്വാപി - somewhere
പുലിനേ - on a sandbank/river-bank
സുഖ - comfort; happiness
ആസീനാഃ - sitting
സുഖാസീനാഃ - seated happily
ശാംത - quiet; peaceful
ധ്വനി - sound
ശാംതധ്വംതിസു - when sounds are quiet (in very peaceful nights)
രജനീഷു - in the nights
ദ്യു - heaven
സരിത് - river
ദ്യുസരിതഃ - of the heavenly river
ഭവ - worldly existence
ഭോഗ - experiences; pleasures
ഉദ്വിഗ്നാഃ - distressed; disillusioned
ഉച്ചാവച - high and low; loud and soft; varied
വചഃ - utterances
ശിവ - Shiva (repeated in the verse)
ഉച്ചവചസഃ - uttering in varied tones
കദാ - when?
യാസ്യാമഃ - shall we reach?
അംതര് - within
ഗത - arisen; gone inside
ബഹുല - abundant; profuse
ബാഷ്പ - tears
ആകുല - flooded; agitated
ദശാം - state
അംതര്ഗതബഹുലബാഷ്പാകുലദശാം - the state flooded with abundant inner tears

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
When will we, weary of worldly experience, sit happily on some moonlit river-bank in silent nights, repeating "Shiva, Shiva" in varied tones, and reach that inner state flooded with abundant tears?

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
This is the voice of longing, not of complaint. The verse describes a heart that has tasted the world and is no longer satisfied by it, and therefore turns with intensity toward the Divine. The moonlit river-bank and quiet nights are not only scenic; they are symbols of a mind that has become calm enough for devotion to deepen. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

The "abundant tears" are not sentimentality; they are a sign of inner softening. When the ego loosens, the heart becomes capable of gratitude, surrender, and honest feeling. In Advaita, even devotion has a purpose: it purifies the mind so that knowledge can become steady. Tears here mark the melting of resistance. The GItA frames this steadiness as സമത്വ (even-mindedness): action continues, but the inner demand for guaranteed outcomes is relaxed.

Practice: create a small, steady devotional setting: a quiet time, a simple chant, and a space with minimal noise. Do not chase emotion; chase sincerity. When the mind is tired of life's noise, let it return to the simple repetition of the name. Over time, this becomes അനുസംധാന (continuous inner recollection), not a passing mood.

മഹാദേവോ ദേവഃ സരിദപി ച സൈഷാ സുരസരിദ്ഗുഹാ
ഏവാഗാരം വസനം അപി താ ഏവ ഹരിതഃ ।
സുഹൃദാ കാലോഽയം വ്രതം ഇദം അദൈന്യവ്രതം ഇദം
കിയദ്വാ വക്ഷ്യാമോ വടവിടപ ഏവാസ്തു ദയിതാ ॥ 3.85.1 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
മഹാദേവഃ - Mahadeva (Shiva)
ദേവഃ - the deity; the Lord
സരിത് - river
അപി - also
ച - and
സാ - that
ഏശാ - this
സുരസരിത് - the divine river
ഗുഹാ - cave
ഏവ - indeed
ആഗാരം - house; home
വസനം - clothing
അപി - also
താ - those
ഏവ - indeed
ഹരിതഃ - green (leaves/trees)
സുഹൃദാ - as a friend
കാലഃ - time
അയം - this
വ്രതം - vow; discipline
ഇദം - this
അദൈന്യ - without poverty/humiliation; without begging
അദൈന്യവ്രതം - the vow of dignified non-begging
കിയത് - how much?
വാ - else
വക്ഷ്യാമഃ - shall we say?
വട - banyan tree
വിടപഃ - tree; branch
ഏവ - indeed
അസ്തു - let it be
ദയിതാ - beloved

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
Mahadeva is our God, this river is the divine river, the cave itself is our home, and the green leaves and trees themselves are our clothing. Time is our friend; this is our vow of dignified non-begging. What more is there to say? Let the banyan tree itself be our beloved.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
This verse shows renunciation as a change of definition. "Wealth" becomes water, shade, and shelter; "companionship" becomes time and a tree; "security" becomes the absence of dependency. The heart that can speak this way has stepped out of the marketplace of status. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

In modern life, the forms will differ, but the principle is the same: define happiness in terms that do not require constant bargaining. When you reduce needs, you reduce fear. When you stop depending on other people's approval and money's whims, you recover dignity. This is the social side of വൈരാഗ്യ: less dependence means more freedom.

Practice: choose one dependency that makes you anxious (a luxury, a habit, a social validation). Replace it with one simple support you can sustain anywhere: basic routines, nature, learning, prayer. Then treat time as a friend by using it deliberately. The mind becomes rich when it stops demanding the world to prove its worth.

വിതീര്ണേ സർവസ്വേ തരുണകരുണാപൂര്ണഹൃദയാഃ
സ്മരംതഃ സംസാരേ വിഗുണപരിണാമാം വിധിഗതിമ് ।
വയം പുണ്യാരണ്യേ പരിണതശരച്ചംദ്രകിരണാസ്
ത്രിയാമാ നേസ്യാമോ ഹരചരണചിംതൈകശരണാഃ ॥ 3.86 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
വിതീര്ണേ - having distributed; having given away
സർവസ്വേ - all one's possessions
തരുണ - youthful; tender
കരുണാ - compassion
പൂര്ണ - full
ഹൃദയാഃ - hearts
സ്മരംതഃ - remembering
സംസാരേ - in worldly life
വിഗുണ - undesirable; sorrowful
പരിണാമം - outcome; result (in verse: പരിണാമാം)
വിധി - fate; the order of things
ഗതിം - course; movement
വയം - we
പുണ്യ - holy
ആരണ്യേ - in the forest
പരിണത - matured; ripened
ശരത് - autumn
ചംദ്ര - moon
കിരണാഃ - rays
പരിണതശരച്ചംദ്രകിരണാഃ - like mellow autumn moonbeams
ത്രിയാമാ - night
നേസ്യാമഃ - we shall spend
ഹര - Shiva
ചരണ - feet
ചിംതാ - contemplation
ഏക - only
ശരണാഃ - refuge; shelter

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
After giving away everything, with hearts full of tender compassion, remembering the sorrowful outcomes of worldly life and the course of fate, let us spend the nights in holy forests, mellow like autumn moonbeams, taking refuge only in contemplation of Shiva's feet.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
This verse unites renunciation with compassion. Giving away possessions is not portrayed as anger toward the world, but as release from burden, so that the heart can become കരുണാപൂര്ണ (full of compassion). The mature seeker remembers how quickly worldly life turns and chooses a quieter rhythm, where devotion becomes the only shelter. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

It also corrects a misunderstanding: വൈരാഗ്യ is not dryness. When desire drops, kindness often grows because attention is no longer trapped in self-centered demand. The autumn moon imagery suggests a mind that is cooled, luminous, and steady - not burning with agitation.

Practice: simplify one possession-load (donate, declutter, reduce commitments). Use the freed space to do one compassionate act without display. Then sit for a few minutes in quiet recollection of your chosen refuge. When compassion and devotion move together, renunciation becomes wholesome rather than harsh.

കദാ വാരാണസ്യാം അമരതടിനീരോധസി വസന്
വസാനഃ കൌപീനം ശിരസി നിദധാനോഽംജലിപുടമ് ।
അയേ ഗൌരീനാഥ ത്രിപുരഹര ശംഭോ ത്രിനയന
പ്രസീദേത്യാക്രോശന്നിമിഷം ഇവ നേഷ്യാമി ദിവസാന് ॥ 3.87 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
കദാ - when?
വാരാണസ്യാം - in Varanasi
അമര - heavenly; of the gods
തടിനീ - river
രോധസ് - bank; shore
അമരതടിനീരോധസി - on the banks of the celestial river
വസന് - dwelling
വസാനഃ - wearing
കൌപീനം - loincloth
ശിരസി - on the head
നിദധാനഃ - placing; holding
അംജലിപുടം - folded hands
അയേ - O!
ഗൌരീനാഥ - Lord of Gauri (Shiva)
ത്രിപുരഹര - slayer of Tripura (Shiva)
ശംഭോ - O Shambho
ത്രിനയന - three-eyed
പ്രസീദ - be gracious
ഇതി - thus
ആക്രോശന് - crying out; calling loudly
നിമിഷം - an eye-blink
ഇവ - like
നേഷ്യാമി - shall I spend
ദിവസാന് - days

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
When will I live in Varanasi on the banks of the celestial river, wearing only a loincloth, holding folded hands above my head, and crying out, "O Lord of Gauri, slayer of Tripura, Shambho, three-eyed one, be gracious" - spending my days as if they were only a moment?

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
This is a longing for a life where the main activity is remembrance. The outer images - Kashi, the river-bank, the loincloth, the folded hands - are symbols of inward surrender. The verse is not about tourism; it is about converting the whole day into prayer. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

In practical life, most people will not relocate to Varanasi. But the deeper invitation remains: simplify, reduce distractions, and make devotion central. When Bhartruhari says a day becomes like a നിമിഷ (blink), he points to absorption - the mind is no longer weighed down by endless craving and worry.

Practice: create a daily "Kashi" window: a fixed time when you do not bargain with the mind. Sit, pray, chant, or contemplate - and let other tasks wait. Use the strongest name-forms that move your heart, and keep them alive through repetition. Over time, the day becomes lighter because the mind stops carrying unnecessary burdens.

ഉദ്യാനേഷു വിചിത്രഭോജനവിധിസ്തീവ്രാതിതീവ്രം തപഃ
കൌപീനാവരണം സുവസ്ത്രം അമിതം ഭിക്ഷാടനം മംഡനമ് ।
ആസന്നം മരണം ച മംഗലസമം യസ്യാം സമുത്പദ്യതേ
താം കാശീം പരിഹൃത്യ ഹംത വിബുധൈരന്യത്ര കിം സ്ഥീയതേ ॥ 3.87.1 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ഉദ്യാനേഷു - in gardens
വിചിത്ര - varied; wonderful
ഭോജന - food
വിധിഃ - manner; arrangement
വിചിത്രഭോജനവിധിഃ - the variety of food-arrangements
തീവ്ര - intense
അതിതീവ്രം - exceedingly intense
തപഃ - austerity
കൌപീന - loincloth
ആവരണം - covering
സുവസ്ത്രം - good garment
അമിതം - limitless; abundant
ഭിക്ഷാടനം - begging for alms
മംഡനം - ornament
ആസന്നം - near; imminent
മരണം - death
ച - and
മംഗല - auspicious
സമം - equal to
യസ്യാം - in which
സമുത്പദ്യതേ - arises; happens
താം - that
കാശീം - Kashi (Varanasi)
പരിഹൃത്യ - having abandoned
ഹംത - alas!
വിബുധൈഃ - by the wise
അന്യത്ര - elsewhere
കിമ് - what?
സ്ഥീയതേ - can one stay?

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
In Kashi, even gardens feel like intense austerity, varied foods become a form of discipline, a loincloth counts as fine clothing, begging becomes an ornament, and death itself feels auspicious when it draws near. Alas, after leaving such Kashi, where else can the wise even stay?

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
This verse praises a sacred environment that makes renunciation easier. In a place where death is visible and spirituality is the air, values invert: the simplest life feels rich, and what scares the worldly mind becomes auspicious. Bhartruhari is saying that surroundings shape mind; a holy atmosphere supports വൈരാഗ്യ. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

The deeper meaning is psychological: if you live among constant consumption and distraction, even basic discipline feels painful. If you live among reminders of impermanence and purpose, discipline becomes natural. Kashi here represents a culture where the "final" questions are not hidden. This is the അനിത്യതാ (impermanence) reflection that Sa~gkarAcArya uses to awaken വൈരാഗ്യ: seeing change clearly, we stop demanding permanent comfort from it.

Practice: you may not live in Kashi, but you can create a Kashi-like field. Spend time near what reminds you of truth: nature, elders, sacred texts, places of service. Reduce inputs that glamorize craving. When the environment supports remembrance, the mind needs less force to turn inward.

സ്നാത്വാ ഗാംഗൈഃ പയോഭിഃ ശുചികുസുമഫലൈരര്ചയിത്വാ വിഭോ ത്വാ
ധ്യേയേ ധ്യാനം നിവേശ്യ ക്ഷിതിധരകുഹരഗ്രാവപര്യംകമൂലേ ।
ആത്മാരാമഃ ഫലാശീ ഗുരുവചനരതസ്ത്വത്പ്രസാദാത്സ്മരാരേ
ദുഃഖം മോക്ഷ്യേ കദാഹം സമകരചരണേ പുംസി സേവാസമുത്ഥമ് ॥ 3.88 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
സ്നാത്വാ - after bathing
ഗാംഗൈഃ - of the Ganga
പയോഭിഃ - with waters
ശുചി - pure
കുസുമ - flowers
ഫലൈഃ - with fruits
അര്ചയിത്വാ - having worshipped; having offered
വിഭോ - O Lord
ത്വാ - you
ധ്യേയേ - in the object of meditation
ധ്യാനം - meditation
നിവേശ്യ - placing; fixing
ക്ഷിതിധര - mountain
കുഹര - cave
ഗ്രാവ - rock
പര്യംക - bed
മൂലേ - at the base
ക്ഷിതിധരകുഹരഗ്രാവപര്യംകമൂലേ - at the root of a rock-bed in a mountain cave
ആത്മാരാമഃ - rejoicing in the Self; self-content
ഫലാശീ - living on fruits
ഗുരു - teacher
വചന - words; instruction
രതഃ - devoted to; delighting in
ത്വത്പ്രസാദാത് - by your grace
സ്മരാരേ - O enemy of Cupid (Shiva)
ദുഃഖം - sorrow
മോക്ഷ്യേ - will I be freed?
കദാ - when?
അഹം - I
സമ - equal
കര - hand
ചരണ - foot
സമകരചരണേ - in a mere human ("having hands and feet") (in verse)
പുംസി - in a man/person
സേവാ - service
സമുത്ഥം - arising from

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
After bathing in the waters of the Ganga and worshipping you with pure flowers and fruits, fixing meditation on you while seated on a rock-bed in a mountain cave, rejoicing in the Self, living on fruits, and delighting in the teacher's words - O enemy of desire, when will you free me by your grace from the sorrow that comes from serving a mere mortal?

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse contrasts two kinds of service: dependence on worldly power versus devotion to the Divine. Serving the "person with hands and feet" means serving a mere mortal - especially the rich and influential - and the sorrow comes from dependence, insecurity, and compromise. Bhartruhari longs for a life where worship, meditation, and simplicity replace that dependence. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

This is highly relevant today in the language of "selling your soul". Many people endure humiliating workplaces or relationships because their needs are inflated and their identity depends on approval. The verse recommends a different refuge: reduce needs, increase inner joy, and let devotion become the center. When the mind tastes ആത്മാരാമ (self-contentment), it becomes less available for exploitation.

Practice: identify one relationship or context where you feel forced to serve against your values. Reduce one dependency that fuels that fear (expense, status need, people-pleasing). Add one daily devotion practice and one self-inquiry question: "What am I afraid will happen if I stop chasing approval?" Let that clarity loosen the knot that creates ദുഃഖ.

ഏകാകീ നിഃസ്പൃഹഃ ശാംതഃ പാണിപാത്രോ ദിഗംബരഃ ।
കദാ ശംഭോ ഭവിഷ്യാമി കര്മനിര്മൂലനക്ഷമഃ ॥ 3.89 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ഏകാകീ - alone; solitary
നിഃസ്പൃഹഃ - without craving; desireless
ശാംതഃ - peaceful; calm
പാണി - hand
പാത്രഃ - vessel; bowl
പാണിപാത്രഃ - hand as bowl
ദിഗംബരഃ - sky-clad; unclothed
കദാ - when?
ശംഭോ - O Shambho (Shiva)
ഭവിഷ്യാമി - will I become?
കര്മ - action; karmic residue
നിര്മൂലന - uprooting; rooting out
ക്ഷമഃ - capable

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
When, O Shambho, will I become solitary, desireless, and peaceful - using my hand as a bowl, the sky as clothing, and capable of uprooting the roots of action?

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
This verse expresses the ideal of radical simplicity. The outer images - hand as bowl, sky as clothing - symbolize a life with minimal dependence and minimal distraction. The deeper goal is not poverty; it is കര്മനിര്മൂലന - uprooting the compulsive patterns that keep producing bondage. Seen through വിവേക (discernment), this is an invitation to let വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion) arise from understanding, not from bitterness.

Most people cannot live like this literally, but the principle is adaptable: reduce the number of things your peace depends on. When your wants are fewer, your mind becomes lighter; when your identity is less tied to possessions, you become less fearful. A calmer mind is the real "digambara" - spacious and uncluttered. Sa~gkarAcArya's ഭ്ഹജ ഗോവിംദമ് returns to this point often: do not postpone inner clarity for outer arrangements; convert insight into a small daily discipline.

Practice: choose one form of voluntary simplicity for a month: fewer purchases, fewer entertainments, or a simpler diet. Pair it with a daily sit and a review of one recurring compulsion. Each time you weaken a compulsion, you do a small നിര്മൂലന (uprooting) of കര്മ in the sense intended here.

പാണിം പാത്രയതാം നിസര്ഗശുചിനാ ഭൈക്ഷേണ സംതുഷ്യതാം
യത്ര ക്വാപി നിഷീദതാം ബഹുതൃണം വിശ്വം മുഹുഃ പശ്യതാമ് ।
അത്യാഗേഽപി തനോരഖംഡപരമാനംദാവബോധസ്പൃശാ
മധ്വാ കോഽപി ശിവപ്രസാദസുലഭഃ സംപത്സ്യതേ യോഗിനാമ് ॥ 3.90 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
പാണിം - the hand
പാത്രയതാം - let it be used as a vessel
നിസര്ഗ - nature
ശുചിനാ - by what is pure; naturally pure
ഭൈക്ഷേണ - by alms
സംതുഷ്യതാം - let (one) be content
യത്ര - where
ക്വാപി - anywhere
നിഷീദതാം - let (one) sit/rest
ബഹു - much; only
തൃണം - a blade of grass
വിശ്വം - the world
മുഹുഃ - again and again; constantly
പശ്യതാം - let (one) see
അതി - even
ത്യാഗേ - in renunciation; even in giving up
അപി - even
തനുഃ - body
അഖംഡ - unbroken
പരമ - supreme
ആനംദ - bliss
അവബോധ - realization
സ്പൃശാ - by the touch/contact
അഖംഡപരമാനംദാവബോധസ്പൃശാ - by the touch of unbroken supreme bliss-realization
മധ്വാ - sweetly; pleasantly
കോ - some
അപി - (in verse: കോഽപി)
ശിവ - of Shiva
പ്രസാദ - grace
സുലഭഃ - easily obtained
സംപത്സ്യതേ - will arise; will come about
യോഗിനാം - for yogis

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
Let the hand be used as a bowl, and let one be content with naturally pure alms; let one sit anywhere, constantly seeing the world as no more than a blade of grass. Even before the body is fully given up, a taste of unbroken supreme joy can arise - and, for such yogis, a sweet grace of Shiva makes liberation easy to attain.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
This verse describes how freedom becomes simple when dependence becomes simple. Contentment with basic alms, the ability to sit anywhere, and the vision that the world is "grass-like" are not nihilism; they are a release from exaggerated importance. When the mind stops treating every object as a life-or-death matter, it becomes capable of deep joy that does not require acquisition. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

In modern life, the biggest source of suffering is often not lack but endless wanting. The verse recommends training the mind to see most things as "not worth the price". When you can say no to unnecessary wants, you recover time, attention, and dignity. That inner space is what allows the touch of അഖംഡ (unbroken) peace.

Practice: practice "grass-vision" once a day. When you feel pulled into drama or craving, ask: "Will this matter in a year?" If not, treat it as തൃണ (grass) and let it go. Combine this with one voluntary simplicity habit. Over time, you will see that grace feels "easy" when the mind is not constantly complicated by wants.

കൌപീനം ശതഖംഡജര്ജരതരം കംഥാ പുനസ്താദൃശീ
നൈശ്ചിംത്യം നിരപേക്ഷഭൈക്ഷ്യം അശനം നിദ്രാ ശ്മശാനേ വനേ ।
സ്വാതംത്ര്യേണ നിരംകുശം വിഹരണം സ്വാംതം പ്രശാംതം സദാ
സ്ഥൈര്യം യോഗമഹോത്സവേഽപി ച യദി ത്രൈലോക്യരാജ്യേന കിമ് ॥ 3.91 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
കൌപീനം - loincloth
ശത - hundred
ഖംഡ - pieces
ജര്ജരതരം - very tattered; more torn
ശതഖംഡജര്ജരതരം - tattered into a hundred rags
കംഥാ - patched cloak; rag
പുനര് - again; further
താദൃശീ - of that kind; similarly
നൈശ്ചിംത്യം - freedom from anxiety
നിരപേക്ഷ - without expectation; without dependence
ഭൈക്ഷ്യം - food from alms
അശനം - eating
നിദ്രാ - sleep
ശ്മശാനേ - in a cremation ground
വനേ - in a forest
സ്വാതംത്ര്യേണ - with freedom
നിരംകുശം - unrestrained; without a goad
വിഹരണം - roaming; moving about
സ്വാംതം - one's own mind
പ്രശാംതം - very calm
സദാ - always
സ്ഥൈര്യം - steadiness
യോഗ - yoga; union; absorption
മഹോത്സവേ - in the great celebration (in verse: യോഗമഹോത്സവേ)
അപി - even
ച - and
യദി - if
ത്രൈലോക്യ - the three worlds
രാജ്യേന - by kingship; by sovereignty
കിമ് - what (use)?

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
If a person wears only a loincloth tattered into a hundred rags and a similarly worn cloak, lives free of anxiety, eats alms without expectation, sleeps in a forest or cremation ground, roams freely, keeps the mind always calm, and remains steady even in the great joy of yoga - then what value is ruling the three worlds?

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
This verse flips the usual definition of greatness. The world calls greatness "power"; Bhartruhari calls greatness "freedom". The ascetic's wealth is നൈശ്ചിംത്യ (fearlessness of mind), സ്വാതംത്ര്യ (independence), and പ്രശാംത (inner quiet). When those are present, the fantasy of dominion becomes small.

The modern equivalent is easy to see: many people trade freedom for lifestyle, status, or control. They become anxious managers of appearances. The verse is a corrective: if you can live simply and keep your mind steady, you possess something better than a kingdom - you possess yourself. This is the അനിത്യതാ (impermanence) reflection that Sa~gkarAcArya uses to awaken വൈരാഗ്യ: seeing change clearly, we stop demanding permanent comfort from it.

Practice: reduce one "kingdom" impulse - the need to control outcomes, impress others, or own more. Replace it with one freedom practice: fewer commitments, fewer purchases, or more quiet time. Then notice the inner result: less anxiety and more steadiness. That steadiness is the real prosperity.

ബ്രഹ്മാംഡം മംഡലീമാത്രം കിം ലോഭായ മനസ്വിനഃ ।
ശഫരീസ്ഫുര്തേനാബ്ധിഃ ക്ഷുബ്ധോ ന ഖലു ജായതേ ॥ 3.92 ॥

ഛംദഃ (മാത്രാ-ചംദസ്): This is in a മാത്രാ-based Chandas/Meter (not a fixed അക്ഷര-count വൃത്ത): in this verse, the written segments carry approximately 21 + 21 മാത്രാഃ (total 42); treat ലഘു=1 മാത്രാ and ഗുരു=2 മാത്രാഃ, and keep the natural pauses at the segment ends marked by `।`/`॥` (do not confuse ദംഡ with internal യതി).

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ബ്രഹ്മാംഡം - the universe
മംഡലീ - a circle/sphere
മാത്രം - only; merely
കിമ് - what for?
ലോഭായ - for greed
മനസ്വിനഃ - for the noble-minded; for the strong-minded
ശഫരീ - a small fish
സ്പൂര്ത - darting; movement
ശഫരീസ്ഫുര്തേന - by the darting of a small fish
അബ്ധിഃ - ocean
ക്ഷുബ്ധഃ - agitated; disturbed
ന - not
ഖലു - indeed
ജായതേ - becomes

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
For the noble-minded, this universe is only a small sphere - why greed? The ocean does not become turbulent because a tiny fish darts about in it.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
Greed comes from a contracted sense of self. When the mind feels small and insecure, it tries to expand itself through possession. Bhartruhari says: if your mind is truly large, the whole universe looks like a "small circle" - not worth the agitation of craving. Notice the chain Bhartruhari is pointing at: രാഗ (attachment) quietly breeds ഭയ (fear), because whatever you cling to becomes something you must protect; വൈരാഗ്യ breaks that chain.

This is a powerful everyday perspective. Most desires feel urgent only because the mind forgets scale: a bigger salary, a bigger house, a bigger reputation. From a wider view, these are small ripples. The verse asks you to become ocean-like: steady, not shaken by every little motion. Upanishadic teaching repeatedly ties freedom with അഭയ (fearlessness): when identity stops leaning on change, fear naturally reduces.

Practice: when you feel greed or comparison rising, widen the frame. Remember one bigger reality: time, mortality, the vastness of the world, or the quiet of your own awareness. Then choose one act of contentment. The mind becomes മനസ്വിന് (strong and expansive) by repeatedly refusing smallness.

മാതര്ലക്ഷ്മി ഭജസ്വ കംചിദപരം മത്കാംക്ഷിണീ മാ സ്മ ഭൂര്
ഭോഗേഷു സ്പൃഹയാലവസ്തവ വശേ കാ നിഃസ്പൃഹാണാം അസി ।
സദ്യഃ സ്യൂതപലാശപത്രപുടികാപാത്രൈഃ പവിത്രീകൃതൈര്
ഭിക്ഷാവസ്തുഭിരേവ സംപ്രതി വയം വൃത്തിം സമീഹാമഹേ ॥ 3.93 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
മാതര് - O mother
ലക്ഷ്മി - Lakshmi; fortune
ഭജസ്വ - go to; devote yourself to
കംചിത് - someone
അപരം - other; someone else
മത് - me
കാംക്ഷിണീ - desiring; longing for
മാ സ്മ ഭൂഃ - do not be
ഭോഗേഷു - in pleasures
സ്പൃഹാ - craving
ആലവഃ - greedy; addicted (in verse: സ്പൃഹയാലവഃ)
തവ - your
വശേ - under control
കാ - what?
നിഃസ്പൃഹാണാം - of those without craving
അസി - are you?
സദ്യഃ - immediately
സ്യൂത - stitched
പലാശ - palasha leaves
പത്ര - leaf
പുടികാ - pouch
പാത്ര - vessel
സ്യൂതപലാശപത്രപുടികാപാത്രൈഃ - with stitched leaf-pouch vessels
പവിത്രീകൃതൈഃ - purified; made sacred
ഭിക്ഷാ - alms
വസ്തുഭിഃ - by means/things
ഏവ - only
സംപ്രതി - now
വയം - we
വൃത്തിം - livelihood
സമീഹാമഹേ - we seek; we desire

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
Mother Lakshmi, go elsewhere; do not long for me. Those who crave pleasures are under your sway - what are you to those without craving? Now we seek livelihood only through alms, gathered and purified in quickly made leaf-pouch bowls.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
This verse is a deliberate renunciation of wealth's seduction. Bhartruhari speaks to Lakshmi as if she were a person who tries to attach herself, and he dismisses her: you only rule those who crave. If craving ends, wealth loses its power to command the mind. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

In modern terms, this is the freedom of not being bought. Money is useful, but the mind becomes miserable when it measures self-worth in currency. The verse encourages a radical inner stance: keep your needs simple and your heart independent, so wealth cannot become your master. The GItA frames this steadiness as സമത്വ (even-mindedness): action continues, but the inner demand for guaranteed outcomes is relaxed.

Practice: notice where money is controlling your behavior - fear, status, overwork, compromise. Reduce one craving that feeds that control, and build one stable livelihood habit that does not depend on hype. The goal is not poverty; it is നിഃസ്പൃഹതാ (lack of craving) - the condition in which wealth becomes a tool, not a tyrant.

മഹാശയ്യാ പൃഥ്വീ വിപുലം ഉപധാനം ഭുജലതാം
വിതാനം ചാകാശം വ്യജനം അനുകൂലോഽയം അനിലഃ ।
ശരച്ചംദ്രോ ദീപോ വിരതിവനിതാസംഗമുദിതഃ
സുഖീ ശാംതഃ ശേതേ മുനിരതനുഭൂതിര്നൃപ ഇവ ॥ 3.94 ॥

ഛംദഃ (മാത്രാ-ചംദസ്): This is in a മാത്രാ-based Chandas/Meter (not a fixed അക്ഷര-count വൃത്ത): in this verse, the written segments carry approximately 22 + 22 + 21 + 22 മാത്രാഃ (total 87); treat ലഘു=1 മാത്രാ and ഗുരു=2 മാത്രാഃ, and keep the natural pauses at the segment ends marked by `।`/`॥` (do not confuse ദംഡ with internal യതി).

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
മഹാ - great
ശയ്യാ - bed
പൃഥ്വീ - the earth
വിപുലം - large
ഉപധാനം - pillow
ഭുജലതാം - of the arms
വിതാനം - canopy; covering
ച - and
ആകാശം - the sky
വ്യജനം - fan
അനുകൂലഃ - favorable; gentle
അനിലഃ - breeze; wind
ശരത് - autumn
ചംദ്രഃ - moon
ദീപഃ - lamp
വിരതി - renunciation
വനിതാ - woman
സംഗ - union; companionship
ഉദിതഃ - arisen; delighted
വിരതിവനിതാസംഗമുദിതഃ - rejoicing in the companionship of "renunciation"
സുഖീ - happy
ശാംതഃ - tranquil
ശേതേ - lies down; sleeps
മുനിഃ - sage
അതനുഭൂതിഃ - without possessions/wealth
നൃപ ഇവ - like a king

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
With the earth as a great bed, the arms as a large pillow, the sky as a canopy, a gentle breeze as a fan, the autumn moon as a lamp, and renunciation as conjugal delight - the sage sleeps happily and peacefully, like a king, though without possessions.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
This verse is joyful, not grim. It shows how contentment can make a simple life feel royal. The sage has redefined comfort: nature provides all the essentials, and the mind is so unburdened that sleep itself becomes sweet. "Renunciation as a beloved" means that giving up craving is not loss; it is intimacy with peace. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

For modern life, this is a reminder that comfort is partly psychological. Many people have beds and roofs yet cannot sleep because the mind is noisy. The verse suggests that the greatest luxury is a quiet conscience and a quiet mind. When attachment drops, even ordinary things feel sufficient. The GItA frames this steadiness as സമത്വ (even-mindedness): action continues, but the inner demand for guaranteed outcomes is relaxed.

Practice: reduce one mental "possession" that keeps you awake - resentment, worry, or unfinished cravings. Do a simple evening ritual: gratitude, a short reading, and one breath practice. Over time, you will see that serenity makes life feel spacious, as if the whole sky were your roof.

ഭിക്ഷാസീ ജനമധ്യസംഗരഹിതഃ സ്വായത്തചേഷ്ടഃ സദാ
ഹാനാദാനവിരക്തമാര്ഗനിരതഃ കശ്ചിത്തപസ്വീ സ്ഥിതഃ ।
രഥ്യാകീര്ണവിശീര്ണജീര്ണവസനഃ സംപ്രാപ്തകംഥാസനോ
നിര്മാനോ നിരഹംകൃതിഃ ശമസുഖാഭോഗൈകബദ്ധസ്പൃഹഃ ॥ 3.95 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ഭിക്ഷാസീ - living on alms
ജന - people
മധ്യ - midst
സംഗ - association
രഹിതഃ - free from
ജനമധ്യസംഗരഹിതഃ - free from crowded company
സ്വായത്ത - self-governed; under one's own control
ചേഷ്ടഃ - conduct; activity
സദാ - always
ഹാന - loss
ആദാന - gain; taking
വിരക്ത - detached
മാര്ഗ - path
നിരതഃ - engaged in; devoted to
കശ്ചിത് - a certain
തപസ്വീ - ascetic; one practicing austerity
സ്ഥിതഃ - stands; dwells
രഥ്യാ - street
ആകീര്ണ - strewn; filled
വിശീര്ണ - torn
ജീര്ണ - old
വസനഃ - clothing
രഥ്യാകീര്ണവിശീര്ണജീര്ണവസനഃ - wearing old torn rags found in streets
സംപ്രാപ്ത - obtained by chance
കംഥാ - blanket; rag-cloth
ആസനഃ - seat
നിര്മാനഃ - without pride
നിരഹംകൃതിഃ - without ego-sense
ശമ - calmness
സുഖ - happiness
ഭോഗ - enjoyment
ഏക - only
ബദ്ധ - bound
സ്പൃഹഃ - desire
ശമസുഖാഭോഗൈകബദ്ധസ്പൃഹഃ - desiring only the enjoyment of calm joy

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
A certain ascetic lives on alms, free from crowded company, always acting in self-reliance, devoted to a path detached from gain and loss. Wearing worn-out rags found in the streets and sitting on a cloth obtained by chance, he is without pride and ego, desiring only the joy of a calm, controlled mind.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse describes a person who has stopped negotiating for social status. Freedom here is inner: not being shaken by honor or insult, gain or loss, praise or blame. The ascetic's one "desire" is for ശമ (calmness) - the stable joy that comes when the mind is not constantly grabbing. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

In modern life, we can translate this as emotional independence. Many people live as if their inner state must be approved by the crowd. When you stop depending on external validation, you become less reactive and more truthful. This is not isolation; it is clarity. The GItA frames this steadiness as സമത്വ (even-mindedness): action continues, but the inner demand for guaranteed outcomes is relaxed.

Practice: notice one situation where you perform for approval. Replace it with one act of self-reliant integrity: do the right thing quietly, without announcing it. Reduce one comparison habit. Over time, the mind begins to taste ശമസുഖ (equanimous happiness) that does not require an audience.

ചംഡാലഃ കിം അയം ദ്വിജാതിരഥവാ ശൂദ്രോഽഥ കിം താപസഃ
കിം വാ തത്ത്വവിവേകപേശലമതിര്യോഗീശ്വരഃ കോഽപി കിമ് ।
ഇത്യുത്പന്നവികല്പജല്പമുഖരൈരാഭാഷ്യമാണാ ജനൈര്
ന ക്രുദ്ധാഃ പഥി നൈവ തുഷ്ടമനസോ യാംതി സ്വയം യോഗിനഃ ॥ 3.96 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ചംഡാലഃ - outcaste
കിമ് - what? is it?
അയം - this (person)
ദ്വിജാതിഃ - twice-born
അഥവാ - or else
ശൂദ്രഃ - shudra
അഥ - or
താപസഃ - ascetic
കിം വാ - or perhaps
തത്ത്വ - truth
വിവേക - discernment
പേശല - skilled; refined
മതിഃ - intellect
തത്ത്വവിവേകപേശലമതീ - mind refined by discernment of truth
യോഗീശ്വരഃ - lord among yogis
കോ - who?
അപി - (in verse: കോഽപി)
ഇതി - thus
ഉത്പന്ന - arisen
വികല്പ - doubts; alternatives
ജല്പ - chatter
മുഖരൈഃ - by talkative mouths
ആഭാഷ്യമാണാ - being addressed/spoken to
ജനൈഃ - by people
ന - not
ക്രുദ്ധാഃ - angry
പഥി - on the path
ന ഏവ - nor indeed
തുഷ്ട - pleased
മനസഃ - in mind
യാംതി - go
സ്വയം - by themselves
യോഗിനഃ - yogis

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
"Is he an outcaste, a twice-born, a shudra, an ascetic - or perhaps some lordly yogi whose mind is refined by discernment of truth?" When people chatter like this, debating and labeling, the yogis themselves walk on, neither angry nor pleased.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
This verse shows the yogi's immunity to social labeling. The crowd cannot resist categorizing: it needs to know "what" you are so it can decide how to treat you. Bhartruhari says the yogi does not accept the crowd's game. He keeps moving, untouched by insult or flattery. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

Today, labels come faster than ever: profession, ideology, caste, status, and online identity. Many people become trapped by them - either trying to fit, or trying to rebel. The yogi's freedom is subtler: he does not outsource his self-understanding to other people's chatter. The GItA frames this steadiness as സമത്വ (even-mindedness): action continues, but the inner demand for guaranteed outcomes is relaxed.

Practice: notice one label you cling to or fear (successful, spiritual, respected, rebel). Watch how it shapes your decisions. Then do one action that is aligned with your values but indifferent to how it will be labeled. This trains ഉപേക്ഷാ (equanimity) and protects inner practice from social noise.

ഹിംസാശൂന്യം അയത്നലഭ്യം അശനം ധാത്രാ മരുത്കല്പിതം
വ്യാലാനം പശവസ്തൃണാംകുരഭുജസ്തുഷ്ടാഃ സ്ഥലീശായിനഃ ।
സംസാരാര്ണവലംഘനക്ഷമധിയാം വൃത്തിഃ കൃതാ സാ നൃണാം
താം അന്വേഷയതാം പ്രയാംതി സതതം സർവം സമാപ്തിം ഗുണാഃ ॥ 3.97 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ഹിംസാ - violence
ശൂന്യം - free from; devoid of
അയത്ന - without effort
ലഭ്യം - obtainable
അശനം - food
ധാത്രാ - by the creator
മരുത് - air; wind
കല്പിതം - arranged; provided
വ്യാലാനാം - of snakes
പശവഃ - beasts; animals
തൃണ - grass
അംകുര - sprouts
ഭുജഃ - eaters (in verse compound)
തുഷ്ടാഃ - satisfied
സ്ഥലീ - ground
ശായിനഃ - lying down; sleeping
സംസാര - worldly existence
അര്ണവ - ocean
ലംഘന - crossing
ക്ഷമ - capable
ധിയഃ - of those with intellect
സംസാരാര്ണവലംഘനക്ഷമധിയാം - of those whose intellect can cross the ocean of worldly existence
വൃത്തിഃ - livelihood; means of living
കൃതാ - made; arranged
സാ - that
നൃണാം - of humans
താം - that
അന്വേഷയതാം - of those seeking
പ്രയാംതി - go to; reach
സതതം - always
സർവം - all
സമാപ്തിം - end; cessation
ഗുണാഃ - qualities; tendencies (gunas)

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
The creator has arranged for snakes to live on air as food, obtained without violence or effort; beasts are content eating grass-sprouts and sleeping on the ground. Likewise, for people whose intellect can cross the ocean of worldly existence, such a way of living has been provided. Those who seek it can bring their restless qualities to cessation.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse argues that nature already provides a simple template for living. Complex living is not necessary for survival; it is often driven by ego and craving. If liberation is the goal, then a livelihood that is non-violent, low-effort, and simple supports the mind by reducing agitation and guilt. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

In modern settings, this can be read as ethical minimalism. Choose food and work that minimize harm, and do not inflate needs. When life becomes simpler, the mind has more space for contemplation. The phrase "ending the qualities" points to reducing the turbulence of ഗുണാഃ (habitual tendencies) so that clarity can prevail.

Practice: simplify one area that generates unnecessary harm and stress: consumption, diet, or livelihood. Replace one harmful habit with one gentle one. Pair that with a daily stillness practice. Over time, you will feel the mind's "waves" reducing - a lived sign that the ഗുണാഃ are moving toward സമാപ്തി (quieting).

ഗംഗാതീരേ ഹിമഗിരിശിലാബദ്ധപദ്മാസനസ്യ
ബ്രഹ്മധ്യാനാഭ്യസനവിധിനാ യോഗനിദ്രാം ഗതസ്യ ।
കിം തൈര്ഭാവ്യം മമ സുദിവസൈര്യത്ര തേ നിർവിശംകാഃ
കംഡൂയംതേ ജരഠഹരിണാഃ സ്വാംഗം അംഗേ മദീയേ ॥ 3.98 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ഗംഗാ - river Ganga
തീര - bank; shore
ഗംഗാതീരേ - on the bank of the Ganga (locative)
ഹിമ-ഗിരി - the Himalayas
ശിലാ - rock; stone
ബദ്ധ - fixed; made firm; bound
പദ്മ - lotus
ആസന - seat; posture
പദ്മാസനസ്യ - of one seated in lotus posture
ഹിമ-ഗിരി-ശിലാ-ബദ്ധ-പദ്മാസനസ്യ - of one seated in lotus posture fixed on a Himalayan rock
ബ്രഹ്മ - supreme reality; pure consciousness
ധ്യാന - meditation
അഭ്യസന - practice; repeated exercise
വിധി - method; discipline
വിധിനാ - by the method (instrumental)
ബ്രഹ്മ-ധ്യാന-അഭ്യസന-വിധിനാ - by the discipline of practicing meditation on the supreme reality
യോഗ - yoga; absorption
നിദ്രാ - sleep; deep stillness
യോഗനിദ്രാം - yogic sleep; deep absorption (സമാധി)
ഗതസ്യ - of one who has entered; attained
കിം - what/when
തൈഃ - by those; with those
ഭാവ്യം - to happen; destiny; what is to be
മമ - for me
സു-ദിവസൈഃ - with auspicious/happy days (instrumental plural)
യത്ര - where
തേ - those
നിര്-വിശംകാഃ - fearless; free from suspicion
കംഡൂയംതേ - rub; scratch (to relieve itching)
ജരഠ - old; aged
ഹരിണാഃ - deer
ജരഠ-ഹരിണാഃ - old deer
സ്വാംഗം - their own limbs/body
അംഗേ - on the body/limb
മദീയേ - my; on mine (locative)

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
Seated in lotus posture on a Himalayan rock on the bank of the Ganga, and entering yogic sleep through steady practice of meditation on the supreme reality - when will such blessed days come to me, when fearless old deer rub and scratch their bodies upon my limbs?

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
This is a picture of a life so quiet and harmless that even the forest trusts you. Bhartruhari imagines a steady seat by the Ganga, the mind absorbed in യോഗനിദ്രാ (deep meditative stillness), and the world no longer perceived as threat or temptation. The old deer are not frightened; they come close enough to scratch themselves against him - a sign that his presence is free from ഹിംസാ (harm) and inner agitation.

In ordinary life we often want peace while still feeding the mind constant noise - news, argument, ambition, and comparison. This verse points to a deeper peace: നിർവിശംകതാ (fearlessness and non-suspicion) that spreads outward. When the mind is no longer grasping or judging, the body's posture and eyes soften, and even people around you relax. This is why seekers traditionally went to അരണ്യ (forests): not to escape duties, but to stop feeding the machinery of restlessness.

Practice: create a small "Ganga-bank" daily. Sit at the same time and place, keep the seat simple, and do 10-20 minutes of silent ധ്യാന (meditation) or mantra. Pair it with one act of gentleness each day - a speech you soften, a craving you do not indulge, a harm you avoid. Over time, you will notice the mind becomes less startling to itself, and calm begins to feel natural.

ജീര്ണാഃ കംഥാ തതഃ കിം സിതം അമലപടം പട്ടസൂത്രം തതഃ കിം
ഏകാ ഭാര്യാ തതഃ കിം ഹയകരിസുഗണൈരാവൃതോ വാ തതഃ കിമ് ।
ഭക്തം ഭുക്തം തതഃ കിം കദശനം അഥവാ വാസരാംതേ തതഃ കിം
വ്യക്തജ്യോതിര്ന വാംതര്മഥിതഭവഭയം വൈഭവം വാ തതഃ കിമ് ॥ 3.98.1 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ജീര്ണഃ - worn out; old
കംഥാ - patched cloak; ragged garment
തതഃ കിം - so what? what then?
സിതം - white
അമല - spotless
പടം - cloth
പട്ട - silk
സൂത്രം - thread; woven cloth
പട്ടസൂത്രം - silk cloth
ഏകാ - one
ഭാര്യാ - wife
ഹയ - horse
കരി - elephant
സുഗണൈഃ - with excellent groups
ഹയ-കരി-സുഗണൈഃ - with excellent groups of horses and elephants
ആവൃതഹ് - surrounded; encompassed
ഭക്തം - food; meal
ഭുക്തം - eaten
കദശനം - eating once (a single meal)
അഥവാ - or
വാസര-അംതേ - at the end of the day
വ്യക്ത - clear; manifest
ജ്യോതിഃ - light; inner radiance
വ്യക്ത-ജ്യോതിഃ - manifest inner light
ന വാ - or else; or not
അംതഃ - within
മഥിത - churned; agitated
ഭവ - worldly existence; repeated becoming
ഭയം - fear
ഭവ-ഭയം - fear of worldly existence / fear of repeated birth
അംതഃ-മഥിത-ഭവ-ഭയം - fear of existence churning within
വൈഭവം - prosperity; splendor

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
So what if the cloak is worn, or if the cloth is spotless white silk? So what if there is one wife, or an entourage of horses and elephants? So what if you have eaten, or if you eat only once at the end of the day? Whether your splendor is evident, or your heart is churned by fear of worldly existence - what does such prosperity amount to?

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
Bhartruhari is not merely praising poverty; he is puncturing a deeper confusion: we keep switching outer arrangements hoping the inside will finally settle. One person changes to luxury, another to austerity; one seeks "one relationship", another seeks a crowd. The refrain തതഃ കിം ("so what?") insists that the decisive factor is inner freedom. If fear of ഭവ (repeated becoming in the world) is still churning within, then neither silk nor rags can give peace; and if inner light is clear, then both become secondary.

In day-to-day life, this shows up as lifestyle debates that never touch the root: "If I buy this, I will relax"; "If I simplify enough, I will feel safe"; "If my status changes, I will be confident." But the anxiety often comes from a deeper place - the insecurity of a self built on externals. The Upanishadic warning is sharp: ദ്വിതീയാദ്വൈ ഭ്ഹയം ഭവതി - fear arises when we live as though we are separate from the whole. External changes do not dissolve that split by themselves.

Practice: pick one recurring fear that drives your choices (status-loss, insecurity, aging, loneliness). Name it plainly, then ask what belief it rests on. Add a small daily discipline that addresses the root: a few minutes of ആത്മവിചാര (self-inquiry: "who is afraid?"), and one deliberate act of non-dependence (saying no to an unnecessary purchase, or not seeking approval). Let outer life be simple, but let the inner work be real.

പാണിഃ പാത്രം പവിത്രം ഭ്രമണപരിഗതം ഭൈക്ഷ്യം അക്ഷയ്യം അന്നം
വിസ്തീര്ണം വസ്ത്രം ആശാദശകം അചപലം തല്പം അസ്വല്പം ഉർവീമ് ।
യേഷാം നിഃസംഗതാംഗീകരണപരിണതസ്വാംതസംതോഷിണസ്തേ
ധന്യാഃ സംന്യസ്തദൈന്യവ്യതികരനികരാഃ കര്മ നിര്മൂലയംതി ॥ 3.99 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
പാണിഃ - hand
പാത്രം - vessel; bowl
പവിത്രം - pure; sacred
ഭ്രമണ - wandering
പരിഗതം - obtained; acquired (by going around)
ഭൈക്ഷ്യം - alms
അക്ഷയ്യം - inexhaustible; never running short
അന്നം - food
വിസ്തീര്ണം - vast; spread out
വസ്ത്രം - garment
ആശ - direction
ദശകം - group of ten
ആശാദശകം - the ten directions (the sky as "clothing")
അചപലം - steady; unmoving
തല്പം - bed
അസ്വല്പം - not small; spacious
ഉർവീം - earth
യേഷാം - for whom; whose
നിഃസംഗതാ - solitude; freedom from association
അംഗീകരണ - acceptance; taking up
പരിണത - matured; ripened
സ്വാംത - inner mind; heart
സംതോഷിണഃ - contented; fulfilled
നിഃസംഗതാ-അംഗീകരണ-പരിണത-സ്വാംത-സംതോഷിണഃ - those whose hearts mature into contentment by accepting solitude
തേ - they
ധന്യാഃ - blessed; fortunate
സംന്യസ്ത - renounced; given up
ദൈന്യ - pettiness; humiliating dependence
വ്യതികര - mingling; entangling contact
നികരാഃ - multitudes; heaps
സംന്യസ്ത-ദൈന്യ-വ്യതികര-നികരാഃ - those who have renounced the multitude of humiliating entanglements
കര്മ - action (and its binding residue)
നിര്മൂലയംതി - uproot; remove at the root

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
Blessed are those whose hands serve as a sacred bowl, whose inexhaustible food is alms gathered while wandering, whose garment is the wide expanse of the ten directions, and whose steady, spacious bed is the earth. By accepting solitude their hearts ripen into contentment; abandoning humiliating entanglements, they uproot karma at its very root.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
This verse is a manifesto of inner independence. The "equipment" of the renunciate is not special; it is what is already present: the hand becomes the bowl, the directions become the garment, the earth becomes the bed. The point is not self-torture; it is reducing dependence. When life does not require constant negotiation, flattery, or compromise, the mind becomes lighter and more available for truth. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

In contemporary life, the same principle can be practiced without copying the outer form. Many of our stresses come from over-commitment and over-dependence: debts, status games, and social obligations we cannot afford to lose. Bhartruhari calls that ദൈന്യ - the smallness of a mind that has to bend for comfort. When you simplify needs and reduce entanglements, you regain dignity and quiet.

Practice: choose one dependency that makes you compromise your values (a purchase you cannot really afford, a relationship sustained only by approval, a habit that drains time). Reduce it deliberately, and replace it with one stabilizing discipline: daily study, prayer, or meditation. As outer demands shrink, notice how inner space grows - that is the beginning of കര്മനിര്മൂലനമ് (uprooting the binding momentum of action).

ത്രൈലോക്യാധിപതിത്വം ഏവ വിരസം യസ്മിന്മഹാശാസനേ
തല്ലബ്ധ്വാസനവസ്ത്രമാനഘടനേ ഭോഗേ രതിം മാ കൃഥാഃ ।
ഭോഗഃ കോഽപി സ ഏക ഏവ പരമോ നിത്യോദിതാ ജൃംഭനേ
യത്സ്വാദാദ്വിരസാ ഭവംതി വിസയാസ്ത്രൈലോക്യരാജ്യാദയഃ ॥ 3.99.1 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ത്രൈലോക്യ - the three worlds
അധിപതിത്വം - sovereignty; lordship
ത്രൈലോക്യാധിപതിത്വം - lordship over the three worlds
ഏവ - indeed
വിരസം - tasteless; insipid
യസ്മിന് - in which
മഹാ - great
ശാസനേ - in the rule/command/realm (locative of ശാസന)
മഹാശാസനേ - in that great rule/realm
തത് - that
ലബ്ധ - obtained
തത്-ലബ്ധ - obtained from that
ആസന - seat; throne
വസ്ത്ര - garment
മാന - honor; status
ഗടനേ - in the arrangement; in the collection (locative)
ആസന-വസ്ത്ര-മാന-ഗടനേ - in the collection of throne, clothing, and honors
ഭോഗേ - in enjoyment
രതിം - delight; attachment
മാ കൃഥാഃ - do not make; do not place
ഭോഗഃ - enjoyment; pleasure
കഃ അപി - some; a certain
സഃ - that
ഏകഃ ഏവ - only one
പരമഃ - supreme
നിത്യ - ever; perpetual
ഉദിത - arisen; rising
ജൃംഭനേ - in blossoming; in expansion
നിത്യോദിതാ-ജൃംഭനേ - in the ever-rising blossoming
യത് - whose
സ്വാദാത് - from the taste
വിരസാ - tasteless
ഭവംതി - become
വിഷയാഃ - sense objects
ത്രൈലോക്യ-രാജ്യ-ആദയഃ - world-kingdoms and the like

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
Even sovereignty over the three worlds becomes tasteless in that higher realm; do not place your delight in pleasures that come from thrones, fine clothes, and honors. There is only one supreme enjoyment: the ever-rising blossoming of inner joy. By tasting it, all sense objects - even world-kingdoms and the rest - become insipid.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
This verse teaches the logic of a higher taste. The mind lets go of a lower pleasure not by force, but when it finds a deeper fulfillment. Bhartruhari says: compared to that inner blossoming of joy, even ത്രൈലോക്യാധിപതിത്വ (dominion over the three worlds) feels flat. The point is not moral scolding; it is a practical diagnosis of how freedom actually happens. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

This aligns closely with the GItA's insight: പരം ദൃഷ്ട്വാ നിവര്തതേ - by seeing the higher, the pull of objects weakens. When a person has tasted calm, clarity, and self-respect, many cravings lose their glamour. In everyday terms, it is the difference between chasing status for a temporary rush and feeling steady enough that you do not need the rush.

Practice: instead of fighting every desire, strengthen one inner source of joy: meditation, honest self-inquiry, or devotional remembrance. Keep a short log of what leaves you peaceful after it ends versus what leaves you restless. Over time, let that observation guide you. വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion) becomes stable when the heart has something higher to return to.

മാതര്മേദിനി താത മാരുതി സഖേ തേജഃ സുബംധോ ജല
ഭ്രാതർവ്യൌമ്അ നിബദ്ധ ഏഷ ഭവതാം അംത്യഃ പ്രണാമാംജലിഃ ।
യുഷ്മത്സംഗവശോപജാതസുകൃതസ്ഫാരസ്ഫുരന്നിര്മലജ്ഞാനാപാസ്ത
സമസ്തമോഹമഹിമാ ലീനേ പരബ്രഹ്മണി ॥ 3.100 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
മാതര് - O mother
മേദിനി - earth
താത - O father
മാരുതി - wind
സഖേ - O friend
തേജഃ - fire; radiance
സുബംധോ - O good relative
ജല - water
ഭ്രാതര് - O brother
വ്യൌമ്അ - sky; space
നിബദ്ധഃ - bound; dedicated; connected
ഏഷ - this
ഭവതാം - to you all; of you all
അംത്യഃ - last; final
പ്രണാമ - salutation
അംജലിഃ - folded hands; joined palms
പ്രണാമാംജലിഃ - a salutation with folded hands
യുഷ്മത് - your
സംഗ - association; company
വശ - under the influence; by the force
ഉപജാത - arisen; born
സുക്റ്ത - merit; good deeds
സ്ഫാരസ്ഫുരത് - widely shining; abundantly resplendent
നിര്മല - pure; spotless
ജ്ഞാന - knowledge
അപാസ്ത - removed; dispelled
സമസ്ത - all; entire
മോഹ - delusion
മഹിമാ - power; majesty
ലീയേ - I merge; I dissolve
പരബ്രഹ്മണി - in the supreme reality

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
O Mother Earth, Father Wind, Friend Fire, dear relative Water, and Brother Sky - this is my final salutation with folded hands to you all. Through my association with you, merits arose and shone forth as pure knowledge that dispelled the full power of delusion. May I now dissolve into the supreme reality.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
This closing verse has the tenderness of gratitude and the courage of release. Bhartruhari bows to the five elements not as gods to bargain with, but as the very supports of embodied life. They carried him: earth held him, wind breathed him, fire warmed and digested, water nourished, space gave room. Now, with that debt acknowledged, he turns from the elements to what they point toward - the unconditioned. Seen through വിവേക (discernment), this is an invitation to let വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion) arise from understanding, not from bitterness.

Seen through അദ്വൈത, the move is natural: the elements are forms within experience, while the goal is the awareness in which all forms rise and set. Gratitude keeps the heart soft; insight keeps it free. Many modern anxieties come from forgetting both: we treat nature as disposable, and we treat our body as an identity. This verse corrects the posture - respect the world, but do not cling to it as "me".

Practice: once a day, do a short "five-elements gratitude" reflection. Feel the support of the ground, the breath, the warmth of the body, the flow of water, and the openness of space. Then ask, "what is aware of all this?" Rest for a minute in that awareness. Let gratitude become humility, and let humility mature into freedom.

ശയ്യാ ശൈലശിലാഗൃഹം ഗിരിഗുഹാ വസ്ത്രം തരുണാം ത്വചഃ
സാരംഗാഃ സുഹൃദോ നനു ക്ഷിതിരുഹാം വൃത്തിഃ ഫലൈഃ കൌമ്അലൈഃ ।
യേസാം നിര്ഝരം അംബുപാനം ഉചിതം രത്യൈ തു വിദ്യാംഗനാ
മന്യേ തേ പരമേശ്വരാഃ ശിരസി യരി ബദ്ധോ ന സേവാംജലിഃ ॥ 3.101 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ശയ്യാ - bed
ശൈല - mountain; rock
ശിലാ - stone slab
ഗൃഹം - house; dwelling
ശൈലശിലാഗൃഹം - a rock-slab house
ഗിരി - mountain
ഗുഹാ - cave
ഗിരിഗുഹാ - mountain cave
വസ്ത്രം - clothing
തരുണാം - of trees
ത്വചഃ - bark; skin
സാരംഗാഃ - deer/antelopes
സുഹൃദഃ - friends
നനു - indeed
ക്ഷിതിരുഹാം - of trees
വൃത്തിഃ - livelihood; means of living
ഫലൈഃ - with fruits
കൌമ്അലൈഃ - tender; soft
നിര്ഝരം - a waterfall; spring
അംബു - water
പാനം - drinking
അംബുപാനം - drinking water
ഉചിതം - proper; fitting
രത്യൈ - for delight; for love/pleasure (dative)
തു - and indeed
വിദ്യാ - knowledge
അംഗനാ - maiden; bride
വിദ്യാംഗനാ - knowledge as the beloved
മന്യേ - I consider
തേ - they
പരമേശ്വരാഃ - supreme lords
ശിരസി - on the head
യൈഃ - by whom; for whom
ബദ്ധഃ - bound
സേവാ - service; servitude
അംജലിഃ - folded hands
സേവാംജലിഃ - the folded hands of servitude (compelled service)
ന - not

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
For those whose bed is a rock-slab, whose home is a mountain cave, whose clothing is the bark of trees; for whom deer are friends and whose livelihood is tender fruits from trees; for whom drinking waterfall water is fitting, and whose delight is the "bride" of knowledge - I consider them the true lords, for they do not have servile folded hands bound upon their head.

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
Bhartruhari redefines lordship. A lord is not someone who is served; it is someone who does not have to sell their inner freedom. The renunciate's life is described almost playfully: rocks and caves as home, fruit and spring-water as sustenance, deer as friends. The most telling line is വിദ്യാംഗനാ - knowledge as beloved. Pleasure is not rejected; it is refined into intimacy with truth. Seen through വിവേക (discernment), this is an invitation to let വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion) arise from understanding, not from bitterness.

In our world, servitude often looks respectable: we become bound by lifestyle, debt, and the constant need to impress. The "folded hands of service" can be a metaphor for a mind always negotiating for approval. This verse invites a different kind of success: live lightly enough that your dignity is not hostage to anyone's mood, and cultivate a joy that comes from learning, reflection, and inner steadiness. This is the അനിത്യതാ (impermanence) reflection that Sa~gkarAcArya uses to awaken വൈരാഗ്യ: seeing change clearly, we stop demanding permanent comfort from it.

Practice: reduce one form of "bondage" this month - an unnecessary subscription, a debt-driven purchase, or an obligation you keep only for image. Use that freed time for സ്വാധ്യായ (self-study): read one good text, reflect, and write a few lines daily. When knowledge becomes a companion, outer dependence naturally loosens.

ധൈര്യം യസ്യ പിതാ ക്ഷമാ ച ജനനീ ശാംതിശ്ചിരം ഗേഹിനീ
സത്യം മിത്രം ഇദം ദയാ ച ഭഗിനീ ഭ്രാതാ മനഃസംയമഃ ।
ശയ്യാ ഭൂമിതലം ദിശോഽപി വസനം ജ്ഞാനാമൃതം ഭോജനം
ഹ്യേതേ യസ്യ കുടുംബിനോ വദ സഖേ കസ്മാദ്ഭയം യോഗിനഃ ॥ 3.102 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
ധൈര്യം - courage; steadiness
യസ്യ - whose
പിതാ - father
ക്ഷമാ - forgiveness; forbearance
ച - and
ജനനീ - mother
ശാംതിഃ - peace
ചിരം - long; enduring
ഗേഹിനീ - wife; household companion
സത്യം - truth
മിത്രം - friend
ഇദം - this
ദയാ - compassion
ഭഗിനീ - sister
ഭ്രാതാ - brother
മനഃ - mind
സംയമഃ - restraint; discipline
മനഃസംയമഃ - self-control of the mind
ശയ്യാ - bed
ഭൂമിതലം - the ground
ദിശഃ - directions
അപി - even
വസനം - clothing
ജ്ഞാന - knowledge
അമൃതം - nectar; immortality-giving
ജ്ഞാനാമൃതം - the nectar of knowledge
ഭോജനം - food
ഹി - indeed
ഏതേ - these
കുടുംബിനഃ - family members
വദ - tell
സഖേ - O friend
കസ്മാത് - why; from what
ഭയം - fear
യോഗിനഃ - for the yogi

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
For the yogi whose father is courage, mother is forgiveness, wife is enduring peace, friend is truth, sister is compassion, and brother is self-control; whose bed is the earth, whose clothing is the directions, and whose food is the nectar of knowledge - tell me, friend, what fear can remain for him?

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse builds an alternative family tree of virtues. When your closest companions are courage, forgiveness, peace, truth, compassion, and self-restraint, you are not easily shaken by circumstance. Such a yogi sleeps on the ground and wears the directions - meaning, he is not picky about comfort or display. His nourishment is ജ്ഞാനാമൃത, the "nectar" of knowledge that keeps the mind from starving in emptiness. Notice the chain Bhartruhari is pointing at: രാഗ (attachment) quietly breeds ഭയ (fear), because whatever you cling to becomes something you must protect; വൈരാഗ്യ breaks that chain.

In practical terms, this is a reminder that security is more internal than external. Many people have possessions but lack patience; they have contacts but lack truth; they have comfort but lack peace. Then fear remains. When virtues become your household, you become resilient: loss does not destroy you, praise does not intoxicate you, and uncertainty does not paralyze you. Upanishadic teaching repeatedly ties freedom with അഭയ (fearlessness): when identity stops leaning on change, fear naturally reduces.

Practice: choose one virtue from this list each week. Treat it like a family member you must honor: if you chose ക്ഷമാ (forbearance), practice forgiving one small irritation; if you chose മനഃസംയമ (self-restraint), limit one impulse daily. Keep a short nightly review. Fear reduces when the inner home becomes strong.

അഹോ വാ ഹാരേ വാ ബലവതി രിപൌ വാ സുഹൃദി വാ
മണൌ വാ ലോഷ്ഠേ വാ കുസുമശയനേ വാ ദൃഷദി വാ ।
തൃണേ വാ സ്ത്രൈണേ വാ മമ സമദൃശോ യാംതി ദിവസാഃ
ക്വചിത്പുണ്യാരണ്യേ ശിവ ശിവ ശിവേതി പ്രലപതഃ ॥ 3.103 ॥

Meaning (പദാര്ഥ):
അഹോ - indeed; ah!
വാ - or
ഹാരേ - in a necklace/garland
ബലവതി - strong; powerful
രിപൌ - in an enemy
സുഹൃദി - in a friend
മണൌ - in a jewel
ലോഷ്ഠേ - in a clod of earth
കുസുമ - flower
ശയനം - bed; couch
കുസുമശയനേ - in a bed of flowers
ദൃഷദി - on stone
തൃണേ - in grass; on straw
സ്ത്രൈണേ - among women; in sensual pleasure
മമ - my
സമ - equal
ദൃശഃ - vision; outlook
സമദൃശഃ - with equal vision; equanimous
യാംതി - pass; go
ദിവസാഃ - days
ക്വചിത് - somewhere
പുണ്യ - holy; meritorious
അരണ്യേ - in a forest (locative)
പുണ്യാരണ്യേ - in a holy forest
ശിവ ശിവ ശിവേതി - "Siva, Siva, Siva" thus
പ്രലപതഃ - muttering; repeating; lamenting

Translation (ഭാവാര്ഥ):
Whether with a necklace or without, whether with a strong enemy or a friend, whether with a jewel or a clod, whether on a bed of flowers or on bare stone, whether among grass or women - my days pass in the same way, as I wander somewhere in a sacred forest, repeating "Siva, Siva, Siva."

Commentary (അനുസംധാന):
The verse is a statement of radical equanimity. Ornament or no ornament, enemy or friend, jewel or clod, softness or hardship, sensuality or simplicity - none of these opposites dictate the quality of his day. The outer scene changes, but the inner axis remains: remembrance of ശിവ, the auspicious reality that stands for what is beyond change. Here തൃഷ്ണാ (craving-thirst) is the hidden engine: it grows by feeding and keeps the mind in motion; the antidote is വിവേക (discernment) maturing into വൈരാഗ്യ (dispassion).

This is not dullness; it is freedom from compulsive preference. A life driven by craving is constantly negotiating: "more comfort, less pain; more praise, less blame." Here, Bhartruhari suggests that peace comes when the mind stops leaning toward one pole and recoiling from the other. The GItA captures the same ideal: സമലോഷ്ടാശ്മകാംചനഹ് - one who sees clod, stone, and gold with equal regard. In a world of endless comparison, that equal vision is priceless.

Practice: pick one pair of opposites that usually controls you (comfort/discomfort, praise/blame, attention/neglect). For a week, observe your reactions without immediately obeying them. Add one anchor that returns you to the center - a short ജപ (repetition) like "Siva Siva" or a few mindful breaths. Equanimity grows when you train the pause between stimulus and response.

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