Bhartruhari Sataka Trisati - Srungaara Satakam - Gujarati

ભર્તૃહરિ is celebrated for the શતક-ત્રિશતિ - three collections of roughly a hundred verses each: નીતિ શતકમ્, શૃંગાર શતકમ્, and વૈરાગ્ય શતકમ્. These are among the most quoted સુભાષિતાનિ in Sanskrit literature because each શ્લોક is compact, memorable, and psychologically sharp.

શૃંગાર શતકમ્ explores શૃંગાર (love/beauty/romance) in many shades: the first spark of attraction, playful conversation, the language of glances, union (સંભોગ), separation (વિરહ), and the way desire can both uplift and unsettle the mind. It is not only about physical beauty; it is also a study of longing, imagination, vulnerability, pride, and reconciliation - the inner choreography of relationship.

The text remains timeless because the emotions it depicts are timeless. The setting may be a palace or a forest-grove, but the dynamics are familiar: how a half-smile can change a conversation, how uncertainty magnifies small signals, how distance reshapes memory, and how seasons mirror moods. Verses like સમસ્તભાવૈઃ ખલુ બંધનં સ્ત્રિયઃ, સ્મૃતા ભવતિ તાપાય, and તાવદેવામૃતમયી are remembered and quoted because they capture these patterns with precision.

A good way to read શૃંગાર શતકમ્ is as a mirror for ચિત્ત (mind): notice what in the verse is about the beloved, and what is actually about the observer's own projections, cravings, and sensitivities. When relevant, some verses also hint at વિવેક (discernment) - seeing how attachment forms and how it can be handled with maturity.

શંભુસ્વયંભુહરયો હરિણેક્ષણાનાં
યેનાક્રિયંત સતતં ગૃહકુંભદાસાઃ ।
વાચાં અગોચરચરિત્રવિચિત્રિતાય
તસ્મૈ નમો ભગવતે મકરધ્વજાય ॥ 2.1 ॥

છંદઃ (વસંતતિલકા): This is in વસંતતિલકા (સમ-વૃત્ત) Chandas/Meter: 4 પાદાઃ, 14 અક્ષરાઃ per પાદ; લઘુ/ગુરુ pattern (per પાદ) is `GGLGLLLGLLGLGG`.

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
શંભુઃ - Shiva
સ્વયંભુઃ - Brahma (self-born)
હરિઃ - Vishnu
શંભુસ્વયંભુહરયો - Shiva, Brahma, and Vishnu (sandhi: શંભુઃ + સ્વયંભુઃ + હરિઃ)
હરિણ - deer; doe
ઈક્ષણ - eye; glance
હરિણેક્ષણાઃ - doe-eyed women (in verse: હરિણેક્ષણાનાં)
યેન - by whom
આક્રિયંત - were made; were compelled to become
યેનાક્રિયંત - were made by whom (sandhi: યેન + આક્રિયંત)
સતતં - always; constantly
ગૃહ - house; household
કુંભ - (water-)pot
દાસઃ - servant; one made to do errands
ગૃહકુંભદાસાઃ - household pot-servants; domestic errand-runners
વાચાં - of speech; of words
અગોચરઃ - beyond reach; not accessible
ચરિત્રં - conduct; deeds; "play" of action
વિચિત્રિતા - wondrous; astonishing; variegated
અગોચરચરિત્રવિચિત્રિતાય - to him whose wondrous deeds are beyond speech (compound)
તસ્મૈ - to him
નમઃ - salutations
ભગવતે - to the Lord; the glorious one
મકર - the મકર (sea-creature motif)
ધ્વજઃ - banner; sign
મકરધ્વજઃ - Cupid ("whose banner is the મકર"); in verse: મકરધ્વજાય

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
Salutations to Cupid, whose wondrous play is beyond words - he by whom even Shiva, Brahma, and Vishnu are made ceaseless household errand-servants for doe-eyed women.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
ભર્તૃહરિ opens with a deliberate exaggeration to set the theme: કામ (desire) is not "a small weakness" but a power that can bend even the mightiest. In everyday life, the same truth appears when highly capable people become irrational for the sake of attention, validation, or infatuation - a senior leader making poor decisions to impress, a student derailing studies for a relationship, or someone compromising values to keep a fragile bond. The practical અનુસંધાન is not to fear love, but to add વિવેક (discernment) and સંયમ (self-restraint): keep boundaries, avoid secrecy, and check whether your actions are serving your deeper priorities or merely serving a moment of fascination.

One more layer is this: Let beauty become reverence rather than grasping. આદિ શંકરાચાર્ય opens સૌંદર્ય લહરી with શિવઃ શક્ત્યા યુક્તો યદિ ભવતિ શક્તઃ પ્રભવિતુમ્, hinting that beauty and power are inseparable from awareness. Seen that way, admiration can refine the heart. When respect is present, beauty uplifts; when entitlement is present, beauty binds.

સ્મિતેન ભાવેન ચ લજ્જયા ભિયા
પરાણ્મુખૈરર્ધકટાક્ષવીક્ષણૈઃ ।
વચોભિરીર્ષ્યાકલહેન લીલયા
સમસ્તભાવૈઃ ખલુ બંધનં સ્ત્રિયઃ ॥ 2.2 ॥

છંદઃ (વંશસ્થ): This is in વંશસ્થ (સમ-વૃત્ત) Chandas/Meter: 4 પાદાઃ, 12 અક્ષરાઃ per પાદ; લઘુ/ગુરુ pattern (per પાદ) is `LGLGGLLGLGLG`.

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
સ્મિતેન - by a smile
ભાવેન - by an emotion; by an expressive mood
ચ - and
લજ્જયા - by modesty; by bashfulness
ભિયા - by fear; by coy apprehension
પરાણ્મુખૈઃ - with faces turned away; with an averted look
અર્ધ - half
કટાક્ષ - sidelong glance
વીક્ષણ - seeing; look
અર્ધકટાક્ષવીક્ષણૈઃ - with half-sidelong glances
વચોભિઃ - by words; by speech
ઈર્ષ્યા - jealousy
કલહેન - by quarrel; by playful dispute
લીલયા - by play; by teasing sport
સમસ્ત - all; entire
ભાવૈઃ - by moods; by emotional states
ખલુ - indeed; surely
બંધનં - bondage; a binding snare; an entanglement
સ્ત્રિયઃ - women

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
By smiles and moods, by modesty and coy fear, by averted faces and half-sidelong glances, by words, jealousy, quarrels, and playful teasing - by all these moods indeed women become a binding snare for the mind.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
This verse is a compact psychology of attraction: not a single "weapon", but a whole spectrum of signals - smile, silence, shyness, irritation, reconciliation - that keeps attention captured. In modern relationships too, much of bonding happens through micro-signals: a delayed reply, a sudden warmth, a playful argument, a half-compliment that invites reassurance. The practical lesson is વિવેક (discernment): notice when your peace is being outsourced to another person's changing expressions. Healthy love deepens steadiness; unhealthy attachment creates dependency on emotional fluctuations. A simple practice is to communicate clearly, interpret charitably, and keep your core routines intact, so that affection enriches life instead of hijacking it.

A helpful way to apply this is: Timing matters. Do not try to resolve everything at peak emotion. Pause, cool down, then speak. When you repair quickly and gently, love becomes a place of safety; when you turn small quarrels into ego battles, romance becomes exhaustion. Let the verse nudge you toward calmer repair.

ભ્રૂચાતુર્યાત્કુષ્ચિતાક્ષાઃ કટાક્ષાઃ
સ્નિગ્ધા વાચો લજ્જિતાંતાશ્ચ હાસાઃ ।
લીલામંદં પ્રસ્થિતં ચ સ્થિતં ચ
સ્ત્રીણાં એતદ્ભૂષણં ચાયુધં ચ ॥ 2.3 ॥

છંદઃ (શાલિની): This is in શાલિની (ત્રિષ્ટુભ્ class) Chandas/Meter: 4 પાદાઃ, 11 અક્ષરાઃ per પાદ; લઘુ/ગુરુ pattern (per પાદ) is `GGGG GLGGLGG`; યતિ (pause) is after the 4th syllable in each પાદ (and sometimes also after 7).

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
ભ્રૂ - eyebrow
ચાતુર્ય - cleverness; skill; dexterity
ભ્રૂચાતુર્યાત્ - from/through clever eyebrow-play
કુચિત - bent; slightly contracted
અક્ષ - eye
કુષ્ચિતાક્ષાઃ - with slightly contracted eyes
કટાક્ષાઃ - sidelong glances
સ્નિગ્ધાઃ - tender; affectionate; warm
વાચઃ - words; speech (in verse: વાચો)
લજ્જિત - bashful; modest
અંતઃ - ending; concluded
લજ્જિતાંતાઃ - ending in bashfulness (as of a smile or laugh)
હાસાઃ - laughter; smiles
લીલા - play; graceful sport
મંદં - slowly; gently
પ્રસ્થિતં - (their) going forth; gait; walking
સ્થિતમ્ - (their) standing; posture
સ્ત્રીણાં - of women
એતત્ - this
ભૂષણં - ornament; adornment
ચ - and
આયુધં - weapon

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
Sidelong glances shaped by clever eyebrow-play and slightly contracted eyes, affectionate speech, laughter that ends in modesty, and a gentle playful gait - whether walking or standing - these are for women both ornament and weapon.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse highlights "soft power": charm is not only beauty, but timing, expression, and presence. In modern settings, this can be seen in how a well-placed look, a warm tone, or a playful pause can change a tense conversation more effectively than arguments. The ethical point is important: the same skills can heal or manipulate. If you have influence, use it as દયા (kindness) and સત્ય (honesty), not as control. If you are on the receiving side, remember that attraction can cloud judgment; take decisions (commitments, money, boundaries) when the mind is calm, not when it is intoxicated by charm.

To carry this wisely: Charm is power, so bring અહિમ્સા (non-harm) into speech. Teasing can be sweet, but sarcasm and manipulation create long shadows. Choose words that leave the other person with dignity. That is how attraction matures into intimacy.

ક્વચિત્સભ્રૂભંગૈઃ ક્વચિદપિ ચ લજ્જાપરિગતૈઃ
ક્વચિદ્ભૂરિત્રસ્તૈઃ ક્વચિદપિ ચ લીલાવિલલિતૈઃ ।
કુમારીણાં એતૈર્મદનસુભગૈર્નેત્રવલિતૈઃ
સ્ફુરન્નીલાબ્જાનાં પ્રકરપરિકીર્ણા ઇવ દિશઃ ॥ 2.4 ॥

છંદઃ (શિખ્હરિની): This is in શિખ્હરિની (સમ-વૃત્ત) Chandas/Meter: 4 પાદાઃ, 17 અક્ષરાઃ per પાદ; લઘુ/ગુરુ pattern (per પાદ) is `LGGGGG LLLLL GGLLLG`; યતિ (pause) is after the 6th and 11th syllables in each પાદ.

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
ક્વચિત્ - somewhere; at times
સ - with
ભ્રૂ - eyebrow
ભંગ - bend; arch; movement
સભ્રૂભંગૈઃ - with eyebrow-bends
ક્વચિદપિ - somewhere/at times also (sandhi: ક્વચિદપિ = ક્વચિત્ + અપિ)
અપિ - also
લજ્જા - modesty; shyness
પરિગત - surrounded by; accompanied by
લજ્જાપરિગતૈઃ - accompanied by modesty
ભૂરિ - much; greatly
ત્રસ્ત - frightened; startled
ભૂરિત્રસ્તૈઃ - greatly frightened (looks)
લીલા - play; grace
વિલલિત - sportive; playfully moving
લીલાવિલલિતૈઃ - with playful movements
કુમારીણાં - of young maidens
એતૈઃ - by these
મદન - Cupid; love
સુભગ - auspicious; pleasing; attractive
મદનસુભગૈઃ - pleasing to Cupid; love-stirring
નેત્ર - eye
વલિત - rolling; moving; turning
નેત્રવલિતૈઃ - with rolling eyes; with eye-movements
સ્ફુરત્ - flashing; shining
નીલ - blue
અબ્જ - lotus
નીલાબ્જ - blue lotus
નીલાબ્જાનાં - of blue lotuses
પ્રકરપરિકીર્ણાઃ - scattered with clusters
ઇવ - as if; like
દિશઃ - the directions; quarters

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
With eyebrow-bends, with modesty, with startled innocence, and with playful grace - with these love-stirring movements of the maidens' rolling eyes - the very directions seem as though they are strewn with clusters of flashing blue lotuses.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The poetic image is vivid: eyes like blue lotuses "scatter" across the world because the observer's attention keeps following them. In today's relationships, this is how fascination works: the mind keeps returning to a single stimulus and begins to color the whole environment with it. A practical use of this insight is to recognize સંસ્કાર (impressions) forming in real-time: repeated attention strengthens a groove. If you want love to be healthy, let admiration be paired with respect and restraint; if you sense obsession, widen your focus deliberately - work, friends, sleep, and values - so that beauty remains a joy, not a captivity.

A mature reading suggests: From an inner standpoint, remember that the rush is a wave in the mind. આદિ શંકરાચાર્ય reminds us in આત્મ ષટકમ્, મનો બુદ્ધ્યહંકાર ચિત્તાનિ નાહમ્ (I am not the mind, intellect, ego, or mind-stuff). Returning to that witness does not kill love; it makes love workable, so you can act with dignity instead of being driven.

વક્ત્રં ચંદ્રવિકાસિ પંકજપરીહાસક્ષમે લોચને
વર્ણઃ સ્વર્ણં અપાકરિષ્ણુરલિનીજિષ્ણુઃ કચાનાં ચયઃ ।
બક્ષોજાવિભકુંભવિભ્રમહરૌ ગુર્વી નિતંબસ્થલી
વાચાં હારિ ચ માર્દવં યુવતીષુ સ્વાભાવિકં મંડનમ્ ॥ 2.5 ॥

છંદઃ (શાર્દૂલવિક્રીડિતમ્): This is in શાર્દૂલવિક્રીડિતમ્ (સમ-વૃત્ત) Chandas/Meter: 4 પાદાઃ, 19 અક્ષરાઃ per પાદ; લઘુ/ગુરુ pattern (per પાદ) is `GGGLLGL GLLLG GGLGGLG`; યતિ (pause) is after the 7th and 12th syllables in each પાદ.

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
વક્ત્રં - face
ચંદ્ર - moon
વિકાસિ - blooming; expanding; shining forth
ચંદ્રવિકાસિ - moon-blooming; blooming like the moon
પંકજ - lotus
પરીહાસ - mockery; playful superiority
ક્ષમે - capable of; able to
લોચને - eyes
પંકજપરીહાસક્ષમે - capable of "mocking" the lotus (outshining it)
વર્ણઃ - complexion; color
સ્વર્ણં - gold
અપાકરિષ્ણુઃ - stealing away; removing; eclipsing
અલિની - a swarm of bees; black bees
જિષ્ણુઃ - conquering; surpassing
કચાનાં - of the hair
ચયઃ - mass; collection
અલિનીજિષ્ણુઃ કચાનાં ચયઃ - a mass of hair that surpasses the bees (in blackness and beauty)
વક્ષોજ - breast
અવિભક્ત - unseparated; paired
કુંભ - jar; pot
વિભ્રમ - bewilderment; delusion; astonishment
હરૌ - removing; taking away
બક્ષોજાવિભકુંભવિભ્રમહરૌ - (her) paired breasts like jars that steal away the mind's composure
ગુર્વી - heavy; weighty
નિતંબ - hips; buttocks
સ્થલી - region; place
નિતંબસ્થલી - the hip-region
વાચાં - of speech
હારિ - captivating; charming
ચ - and
માર્દવં - softness; gentleness
યુવતીષુ - in young women
સ્વાભાવિકં - natural; innate
મંડનં - ornament; adornment

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
In young women, the natural adornment is this: a face blooming like the moon; eyes that outshine the lotus; a complexion that eclipses gold; hair that surpasses the swarm of bees; paired breasts like jars that bewilder the heart; a weighty curve of the hips; and speech whose softness captivates.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse is classic શૃંગાર: it celebrates beauty through comparisons to nature - moon, lotus, gold, bees - and shows how perception is shaped by imagery. In real-world settings, it reminds us that attraction is partly sensory and partly imaginative: the mind overlays meaning on what it sees. The mature way to carry this is મર્યાદા (respectful boundaries): admiration should not become objectification, and poetic praise should not become entitlement. If you are in love, let appreciation make you more considerate and more responsible, not more impulsive. If you are admired, remember that charm is power; use it with સત્ય (truthfulness) and અહિમ્સા (non-harm), not as a way to toy with another's emotions.

If you want this verse to uplift you: Enjoy beauty without losing balance. Keep the basics steady: sleep, work, friendships, and self-respect. If attraction is mutual, clarity and pace protect it; if it is not, restraint protects you. This is how the verse becomes practical wisdom instead of mere description.

સ્મિતકિંચિન્મુગ્ધં સરલતરલો દૃષ્ટિવિભવઃ
પરિસ્પંદો વાચાં અભિનવવિલાસોક્તિસરસઃ ।
ગતાનાં આરંભઃ કિસલયિતલીલાપરિકરઃ
સ્પૃશંત્યાસ્તારુણ્યં કિં ઇવ ન હિ રમ્યં મૃગદૃશઃ ॥ 2.6 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
સ્મિત - smile
કિંચિત્ - a little; slight
મુગ્ધં - innocent; charmingly naive
સ્મિતકિંચિન્મુગ્ધં - a slightly innocent smile
સરલ - simple; straight; uncontrived
તરલઃ - trembling; restless; moving
સરલતરલઃ - simple and restless
દૃષ્ટિ - gaze; sight
વિભવઃ - wealth; splendor; richness
દૃષ્ટિવિભવઃ - richness of the gaze
પરિસ્પંદઃ - quiver; tremor; subtle vibration
વાચાં - of speech
અભિનવ - new; fresh
વિલાસ - graceful play; charm
ઉક્તિ - utterance; phrase
સરસઃ - juicy; delightful
અભિનવવિલાસોક્તિસરસઃ - delightful with fresh playful speech
ગતાનાં - of movements; of gait
આરંભઃ - beginning; start
કિસલયિત - tender like a sprout; budding
લીલા - play; grace
પરિકરઃ - paraphernalia; set of gestures/expressions
કિસલયિતલીલાપરિકરઃ - a budding set of playful gestures
સ્પૃશંત્યાઃ - of one who is touching; approaching (in verse: સ્પૃશંત્યાસ્તારુણ્યં)
તારુણ્યં - youth
કિં ઇવ ન હિ રમ્યં - what indeed is not lovely?
મૃગદૃશઃ - of the doe-eyed girl

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
An innocent smile, a simple yet restless richness of gaze, a tremor in speech that is sweet with fresh playful phrases, the first budding start of movements and gestures - when youth touches the doe-eyed maiden, what is there that is not lovely?

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
This verse captures the freshness of early youth - not "perfect beauty", but the charm of newness: slightly awkward smiles, quick glances, and spontaneous speech. In lived experience, it reminds us that connection often grows through authenticity more than polish. When you stop performing and let your natural warmth show, relationships become easier and more real. The caution is also implicit: youth is powerful and fragile; it deserves રક્ષણ (protection) and સૌશીલય (gentle respect), not exploitation. Admiration should increase responsibility: be mindful of consent, context, and emotional impact, so that affection becomes a blessing, not a wound.

From a broader perspective: Let beauty become reverence rather than grasping. આદિ શંકરાચાર્ય opens સૌંદર્ય લહરી with શિવઃ શક્ત્યા યુક્તો યદિ ભવતિ શક્તઃ પ્રભવિતુમ્, hinting that beauty and power are inseparable from awareness. Seen that way, admiration can refine the heart. When respect is present, beauty uplifts; when entitlement is present, beauty binds.

દ્રષ્ટવ્યેષુ કિં ઉત્તમં મૃગદૃશઃ પ્રેમપ્રસન્નં મુખં
ઘ્રાતવેષ્વપિ કિં તદ્આસ્યપવનઃ શ્રવ્યેષુ કિં તદ્વચઃ ।
કિં સ્વાદ્યેષુ તદ્ઓષ્ઠપલ્લવરસઃ સ્પૃશ્યેષુ કિં તદ્વપુર્ધ્યેયં
કિં નવયૌવને સહૃદયૈઃ સર્વત્ર તદ્વિભ્રમાઃ ॥ 2.7 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
દ્રષ્ટવ્યેષુ - among things to be seen
કિં - what?
ઉત્તમં - best; highest
મૃગદૃશઃ - of the doe-eyed maiden
પ્રેમ - love
પ્રસન્નં - clear; bright; serene; pleased
મુખં - face
ઘ્રાતવેષુ - among things to be smelled
અપિ - also
તત્ - that; her
આસ્ય - mouth
પવનઃ - breath; breeze
તદ્આસ્યપવનઃ - her mouth-breath (the verse uses for a join; read as તદાસ્યપવનઃ)
શ્રવ્યેષુ - among things to be heard
તદ્વચઃ - her words; her speech
સ્વાદ્યેષુ - among things to be tasted
તદ્ઓષ્ઠ - her lips (read as તદોષ્ઠ)
પલ્લવ - fresh sprout; tender bud
રસઃ - taste; juice; essence
ઓષ્ઠપલ્લવરસઃ - the "sprout-juice" of her lips (tender sweetness)
સ્પૃશ્યેષુ - among things to be touched
તદ્વપુઃ - her body
ધ્યેયં - to be meditated on; contemplated
નવયૌવને - in fresh/new youth
સહૃદયૈઃ - by the tender-hearted; sensitive people
સર્વત્ર - everywhere
તદ્વિભ્રમાઃ - her graces; her charming gestures

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
Of all things to be seen, what is best? - the doe-eyed beloved's face, bright with love. Of all scents, what? - her breath. Of all sounds? - her words. Of all tastes? - the sweetness of her lips. Of all touch? - her body. And what is to be contemplated? - her fresh youth; for the tender-hearted, her graces are "best" everywhere.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
This is romantic hyperbole: when love is young, the beloved becomes the "best of everything." It is beautiful as poetry, and it also reveals a psychological pattern: the mind concentrates value on one object and then tastes the whole world through it. In ordinary situations, this can be healthy devotion or unhealthy obsession. The practical balance is મધ્યમતા (the middle way): cherish the relationship, but keep your self-respect, friendships, work, and inner stability intact. When you notice compulsive thinking, bring in વિવેક (discernment): ask whether your attention is coming from love or from insecurity and craving. Love that matures moves from "I need you to feel whole" to "I choose you, and I can still stand steady within myself."

On a subtler level: Poetry delights, but real love must go beyond features. If you feel enchanted, translate it into care: listen well, keep promises, and honor consent. Admiration that becomes service is ennobling; admiration that becomes possession is painful. Use the verse to remember dignity - yours and the other's.

એતાશ્ચલદ્વલયસંહતિમેખલોત્થઝંકાર
નૂપુરપરાજિતરાજહંસ્યઃ ।
કુર્વંતિ કસ્ય ન મનો વિવશં તરુણ્યો
વિત્રસ્તમુગ્ધહરિણીસદૃશૈઃ કટાક્ષૈઃ ॥ 2.8 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
એતાઃ - these
ચલત્ - moving; trembling; swaying
વલય - bangle; bracelet
સંહતિ - collection; cluster
મેખલા - girdle; waist-belt
ઉત્થ - arising from
ઝંકાર - jingling sound
ચલદ્વલયસંહતિમેખલોત્થઝંકાર - jingling arising from swaying bangles and girdle
નૂપુર - anklet
પરાજિત - surpassed; defeated
રાજ - royal; noble
હંસ - swan
નૂપુરપરાજિતરાજહંસ્યઃ - whose (gait/sound) surpasses the royal swan because of anklets
કુર્વંતિ - make; render
કસ્ય ન - whose (mind) not?; whom do they not?
મનઃ - mind
વિવશં - helpless; overpowered
તરુણ્યઃ - young women
વિત્રસ્ત - frightened
મુગ્ધ - innocent; artless
હરિણી - doe
સદૃશૈઃ - resembling; like
કટાક્ષૈઃ - with sidelong glances

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
With jingling from swaying bangles and girdle, with anklets whose music outshines the royal swan, and with sidelong glances like frightened innocent doe - which mind do these young women not overpower?

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
ભર્તૃહરિ shows how attraction is multisensory: sound (anklets, bangles), movement (gait), and sight (glances) work together to flood attention. In practical terms, "presence" works similarly: tone of voice, body language, and timing often matter more than literal words. If you want to build healthy relationships, use this insight to become more attentive and considerate: listen well, show warmth, and be mindful of how you show up. And if you feel overpowered by someone's charm, pause and return to your own center - sleep, food, and routine - because a tired mind is easier to capture than a steady one.

A gentle practice is: Notice the role of attention. What you repeatedly contemplate becomes your inner landscape. So train attention not only on appearance but also on character - kindness, steadiness, truthfulness. This keeps romance from becoming fragile, because it is rooted in values, not only in sensation.

કુંકુમપંકકલંકિતદેહા
ગૌરપયોધરકંપિતહારા ।
નૂપુરહંસરણત્પદ્મા
કં ન વશીકુરુતે ભુવિ રામા ॥ 2.9 ॥

છંદઃ (માત્રા-ચંદસ્): This is in a માત્રા-based Chandas/Meter (not a fixed અક્ષર-count વૃત્ત): in this verse, the written segments carry approximately 16 + 16 + 14 + 16 માત્રાઃ (total 62); treat લઘુ=1 માત્રા and ગુરુ=2 માત્રાઃ, and keep the natural pauses at the segment ends marked by `।`/`॥` (do not confuse દંડ with internal યતિ).

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
કુંકુમ - saffron; vermilion
પંક - paste; clay; smear
કલંકિત - marked; stained; adorned (lit. "spotted")
દેહા - body; having a body (fem.)
કુંકુમપંકકલંકિતદેહા - whose body is streaked/marked with saffron paste
ગૌર - fair; white
પયોધર - breast (lit. "water-bearer")
કંપિત - trembling; shaken
હારા - necklace
ગૌરપયોધરકંપિતહારા - whose necklace trembles on her fair breasts
નૂપુર - anklet
હંસ - swan
રણત્ - ringing; tinkling
પદ્મા - lotus(-like); having lotus(-feet) (fem.)
નૂપુરહંસરણત્પદ્મા - whose lotus-feet ring with anklets like swans
કં - whom?
ન - not
વશીકુરુતે - brings under control; enchants; subdues
ભુવિ - on earth
રામા - a lovely woman; beloved

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
With her body streaked with saffron paste, her necklace trembling on her fair breasts, and her lotus-feet ringing with anklets like swans - whom on earth does such a lovely woman not enchant?

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
This is a celebration of beauty as a lived, moving experience: fragrance and color, the rhythm of ornament, the music of footsteps. In the way we live now, the verse can be read as an insight into "aura": people are drawn not just to looks, but to the total atmosphere - grooming, confidence, and grace. Used well, this becomes self-care and artistry; used poorly, it becomes manipulation through appearances. The mature takeaway is to enjoy beauty without letting it override judgment: keep your promises, your priorities, and your ethical boundaries steady, even when the senses are delighted.

One more layer is this: A deeper use of શૃંગાર is refinement. When something is beautiful, pause and notice the mind soften. Then let that softness turn into generosity, patience, and gratitude. In this way, beauty becomes a doorway to a better self, not a doorway to restlessness.

નૂનં હિ તે કવિવરા વિપરીતવાચો
યે નિત્યં આહુરબલા ઇતિ કામિનીસ્તાઃ ।
યાભિર્વિલોલિતરતારકદૃષ્ટિપાતૈઃ
શક્રાદયોઽપિ વિજિતાસ્ત્વબલાઃ કથં તાઃ ॥ 2.10 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
નૂનં - surely; indeed
હિ - indeed
તે - those
કવિ - poet
વરાઃ - excellent ones; "great" ones (often ironic here)
વિપરીત - contrary; reversed
વાચાઃ - words; speech (in verse: વિપરીતવાચો)
યે - who
નિત્યં - always
આહુર્ - say (sandhi: આહુઃ is base; આહુર્ before a consonant)
અબલાઃ - weak (fem. pl.)
ઇતિ - thus
કામિન્યઃ - women; beloveds (in verse: કામિનીસ્તાઃ)
તાઃ - those (women)
યાભિઃ - by whom; with which (fem. inst. pl.)
વિલોલિત - rolling; wandering
રતારક - stars (lit. "night-lights"; in the pupils/eyes)
દૃષ્ટિ - sight; gaze
પાત - fall; casting (as of a glance)
વિલોલિતરતારકદૃષ્ટિપાતૈઃ - with glances whose star-like pupils are playfully rolling
શક્રાદયઃ - શક્ર (Indra) and others
અપિ - even (verse: શક્રાદયોઽપિ = શક્રાદયઃ + અપિ)
વિજિતાઃ - conquered; defeated
તુ - but; indeed
અબલાઃ - weak?
કથં - how?
તાઃ - those (women)

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
Surely those "great poets" speak upside-down who keep calling women weak; by the playful casting of their rolling, star-like glances even Indra and the gods are conquered - how then are they weak?

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse pushes back against a lazy stereotype by pointing to the reality of influence: "strength" is not only physical force, it is also charm, intelligence, and the ability to move another's mind. At home and at work, this reads as a reminder to respect emotional and social power - the ability to persuade, inspire, calm, or unsettle. It also warns us about self-deception: people who think they are "in control" can still be swayed by desire, flattery, or attention. A healthy application is to build relationships on mutual respect, and to recognize that what looks "soft" on the surface can carry real leverage underneath.

A helpful way to apply this is: Enjoy beauty without losing balance. Keep the basics steady: sleep, work, friendships, and self-respect. If attraction is mutual, clarity and pace protect it; if it is not, restraint protects you. This is how the verse becomes practical wisdom instead of mere description.

નૂનં આજ્ઞાકરસ્તસ્યાઃ સુભ્રુવો મકરધ્વજઃ ।
યતસ્તન્નેત્રસંચારસૂચિતેષુ પ્રવર્તતે ॥ 2.11 ॥

છંદઃ (અનુષ્ટુભ્): This is in અનુષ્ટુભ્ (શ્લોક) Chandas/Meter: 4 પાદાઃ, 8 અક્ષરાઃ per પાદ (32 total; commonly written/recited as two 16-syllable half-verses separated by `।`); પથ્યા 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 યતિ (pause) is after the 4th or 5th syllable in each પાદ (separate from the natural pauses at `।` and `॥`). લક્ષણ શ્લોક: શ્લોકે ષષ્ઠં ગુરુ જ્ઞેયં સર્વત્ર લઘુપંચમમ્ । દ્વિચતુષ્પાદયોઃ હ્રસ્વં સપ્તમં દીર્ઘમન્યયોઃ ॥ - this mnemonic says the 6th syllable is ગુરુ and the 5th is લઘુ in all પાદાઃ; the 7th is લઘુ in pAda 2/4 and ગુરુ in pAda 1/3.

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
નૂનં - surely; indeed
આજ્ઞા - command; order
કરઃ - doer; maker; agent (here: one who executes orders)
આજ્ઞાકરઃ - command-executor; obedient servant
તસ્યાઃ - of her
સુ - good; beautiful
ભ્રૂ - eyebrow
સુભ્રુવઃ - of the fair-browed woman
મકરધ્વજઃ - મકરધ્વજ (Cupid)
યતઃ - because; for
તત્ - her; that
નેત્ર - eye
સંચાર - movement; roaming
સૂચિત - indicated; signaled
એષુ - in these (matters)
પ્રવર્તતે - proceeds; acts; sets about

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
Surely Cupid is the obedient servant of that fair-browed woman, because he acts according to the signals given by the movements of her eyes.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse playfully reverses the power-dynamic: instead of Cupid commanding lovers, Cupid himself becomes the servant of the beloved's subtle cues. These days, this is a reminder of how much communication happens without words - through eye contact, pauses, posture, and micro-expressions. When attraction is mutual and respectful, such cues create tenderness; when it is not, the same cues can be misread or forced. The practical guidance is to keep સંયમ (self-restraint) and clarity: do not build fantasies from ambiguous signals, and do not pressure someone into giving signals they do not mean. Let desire follow consent and honesty, not guesswork.

To carry this wisely: Treat desire as a signal, not a verdict. Attraction shows what the mind likes, but it does not decide what is right. Pause and ask: will this increase trust or reduce it; will it make tomorrow lighter or heavier? That small pause is વિવેક (discernment). When you choose transparency and boundaries early, love stays dignified and does not turn into compulsion.

કેશાઃ સંયમિનઃ શ્રુતેરપિ પરં પારં ગતે લોચને
અંતર્વક્ત્રં અપિ સ્વભાવશુચિભીઃ કીર્ણં દ્વિજાનાં ગણૈઃ ।
મુક્તાનાં સતતાધિવાસરુચિરૌ વક્ષોજકુંભાવિમાવિત્થં
તન્વિ વપુઃ પ્રશાંતં અપિ તેરાગં કરોત્યેવ નઃ ॥ 2.12 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
કેશાઃ - hair
સંયમિનઃ - of self-controlled ones; of ascetics (also: "restrained/controlled")
શ્રુતેરપિ - even beyond the ear (here શ્રુતિ = ear; sandhi: શ્રુતેઃ અપિ)
પરં - beyond; further
પારં - far shore; limit; end
ગતે - having reached (dual sense with લોચને)
લોચને - the two eyes
અંતર્વક્ત્રં - the inside of the mouth
અપિ - even
સ્વભાવ - natural; innate
શુચિ - pure; clean; bright
સ્વભાવશુચિભીઃ - naturally pure/bright
કીર્ણં - filled; crowded
દ્વિજ - "twice-born"; in poetry: a tooth
દ્વિજાનાં ગણૈઃ - with rows/groups of teeth
મુક્તાનાં - of pearls
સતત - always
અધિવાસ - residence; dwelling
રુચિરૌ - beautiful (dual)
વક્ષોજ - breast
કુંભૌ - the two jars (dual)
વક્ષોજકુંભૌ - the two "jar-like" breasts
ઇમૌ - these two
ઇત્થં - thus; in this way
તન્વિ - O slender one
વપુઃ - body; form
પ્રશાંતં - calm; composed
અપિ - even
તે - your
રાગં - passion; attachment
કરોતિ - creates; produces
એવ - indeed
નઃ - in us; for us

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
Your hair looks like that of the self-controlled; your eyes seem to extend even beyond the ear; your mouth, naturally bright, is filled with rows of teeth; your two breast-jars are ever beautified by pearls resting on them. O slender one, even though your form is composed, it still awakens passion in us.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
This verse is packed with poetic shorthand: long eyes "reach the ear", teeth are called દ્વિજ (twice-born) because a second set appears, and pearls "reside" on the bosom as a necklace. The deeper point is about how the mind selects details and turns them into a story of beauty. When you look around today, we can recognize this as the power of attention: what you repeatedly notice becomes what you "live in". If you want love to be steady, train attention not only on appearance, but also on character - kindness, reliability, and respect. Otherwise, the mind becomes a slave of surface impressions and keeps generating રાગ (attachment) without grounding.

A mature reading suggests: Poetry delights, but real love must go beyond features. If you feel enchanted, translate it into care: listen well, keep promises, and honor consent. Admiration that becomes service is ennobling; admiration that becomes possession is painful. Use the verse to remember dignity - yours and the other's.

મુગ્ધે ધાનુષ્કતા કેયં અપૂર્વા ત્વયિ દૃશ્યતે ।
યયા વિધ્યસિ ચેતાંસિ ગુણૈરેવ ન સાયકૈઃ ॥ 2.13 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
મુગ્ધે - O innocent one; O charming naive girl
ધાનુષ્કતા - archery; the skill of a bowman
કા - what?
ઇયં - this
કેયં - what is this?
અપૂર્વા - unprecedented; new; rare
ત્વયિ - in you
દૃશ્યતે - is seen
યયા - by which
વિધ્યસિ - you pierce; you strike
ચેતાંસિ - minds; hearts
ગુણૈઃ - by qualities; by virtues
એવ - alone; indeed
ન - not
સાયકૈઃ - by arrows

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
O innocent one, what new kind of archery is seen in you - by which you pierce hearts with your qualities alone, and not with arrows?

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
Here ભર્તૃહરિ praises attraction that comes from ગુણ (virtue/quality) rather than force. In modern terms, this is the pull of character: sincerity, warmth, humor, competence, and emotional intelligence. The practical lesson is encouraging: if you want to be loved deeply, invest less in performance and more in genuine qualities. And if you feel "pierced" by someone, ask what exactly is drawing you - is it real ગુણ, or is it your projection? This reflection prevents blind attachment and leads to healthier choices.

If you want this verse to uplift you: Notice the role of attention. What you repeatedly contemplate becomes your inner landscape. So train attention not only on appearance but also on character - kindness, steadiness, truthfulness. This keeps romance from becoming fragile, because it is rooted in values, not only in sensation.

સતિ પ્રદીપે સત્યગ્નૌ સત્સુ તારારવીંદુષુ ।
વિના મે મૃગશાવાક્ષ્યા તમોભૂતં ઇદં જગથ્ ॥ 2.14 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
સતિ - when present; while existing
પ્રદીપે - in a lamp; in the lamp-light
સત્ય - true; real; blazing
અગ્નૌ - in fire; with fire
સત્સુ - when present; among existing things
તારા - stars
રવિ - sun
ઇંદુ - moon
તારારવીંદુષુ - among stars, sun, and moon
વિના - without
મે - my
મૃગ - deer
શાવા - fawn
અક્ષિ - eye
મૃગશાવાક્ષ્યા - (my beloved) with fawn-like eyes
તમોભૂતં - become darkness; turned dark
ઇદં - this
જગથ્ - world

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
Though lamp-light, fire, stars, sun, and moon are present, without my fawn-eyed beloved this world becomes darkness to me.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse describes how love changes perception: the same world can feel bright or dark depending on inner mood. In common experience, we recognize this as emotional coloring - when you miss someone deeply, everything feels dull; when you feel connected, the same day feels luminous. The practical advice is to honor the feeling but not be ruled by it: grief and longing are natural, yet your well-being cannot depend entirely on external presence. A quiet અનુસંધાન is to cultivate an inner lamp - routines, friendships, meaning, and (when relevant) contemplation of આત્મન્ (the inner light) so that external love enriches life without becoming the only source of light.

From a broader perspective: A deeper use of શૃંગાર is refinement. When something is beautiful, pause and notice the mind soften. Then let that softness turn into generosity, patience, and gratitude. In this way, beauty becomes a doorway to a better self, not a doorway to restlessness.

ઉદ્વૃત્તઃ સ્તનભાર એષ તરલે નેત્રે ચલે ભ્રૂલતે
રાગાધિષ્ઠિતં ઓષ્ઠપલ્લવં ઇદં કુર્વંતુ નામ વ્યથામ્ ।
સૌભાગ્યાક્ષરમાલિકેવ લિખિતા પુષ્પાયુધેન સ્વયં
મધ્યસ્થાપિ કરોતિ તાપં અધિકં રોમાવલિઃ કેન સા ॥ 2.15 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
ઉદ્વૃત્તઃ - raised; lifted; prominent
સ્તન - breast
ભારઃ - burden; weight
સ્તનભારઃ - the weight of the breasts
એષ - this
તરલે - unsteady; tremulous (dual sense with નેત્રે)
નેત્રે - the two eyes
ચલે - moving; dancing (plural/dual sense with brows)
ભ્રૂલતે - eyebrows (lit. "brow-creepers")
રાગ - redness; passion; color
અધિષ્ઠિતં - seated on; established on
ઓષ્ઠ - lip
પલ્લવં - tender bud; sprout
ઓષ્ઠપલ્લવં - lip-bud
ઇદં - this
કુર્વંતુ - let (them) do; let (them) cause
નામ - indeed; surely
વ્યથાં - pain; disturbance
સૌભાગ્ય - good fortune; auspiciousness
અક્ષર - letter; syllable
માલિકા - garland; string
અક્ષરમાલિકા - a garland/string of letters (as in a written line)
ઇવ - as if; like
લિખિતા - written
પુષ્પ - flower
આયુધ - weapon
પુષ્પાયુધેન - by the flower-weaponed one (કામ/Cupid)
સ્વયં - himself
મધ્યસ્થા - situated in the middle
અપિ - even though
કરોતિ - causes; does
તાપં - heat; torment; burning longing
અધિકં - more; excessive
રોમાવલિઃ - the line of fine hair (on the abdomen)
કેન - why? by what?
સા - that (line)

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
Let the raised weight of the breasts, the tremulous eyes, the dancing eyebrows, and the lip-bud set with color indeed cause disturbance; but why does the delicate line of abdominal hair, though placed in the middle, produce even greater burning longing - as if Cupid himself wrote it like an auspicious garland of letters?

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse observes something subtle: desire does not always arise from the obvious features; sometimes a small detail becomes the strongest trigger. In contemporary life, this matches how attention works - a tiny habit, a particular laugh, a small gesture can become the "signature" that the mind fixates on. The practical lesson is to see how the mind manufactures તાપ (burning agitation) through repeated attention. If you want to enjoy beauty without losing peace, keep awareness broad and grounded; do not let one detail become an obsession that drains energy and clarity. And in relationships, remember that what you amplify in your mind becomes your reality - choose what you amplify wisely.

On a subtler level: Enjoy beauty without losing balance. Keep the basics steady: sleep, work, friendships, and self-respect. If attraction is mutual, clarity and pace protect it; if it is not, restraint protects you. This is how the verse becomes practical wisdom instead of mere description.

મુખેન ચંદ્રકાંતેન મહાનીલૈઃ શિરોરુહૈઃ ।
કરાભ્યાં પદ્મરાગાભ્યાં રેજે રત્નમયીવ સા ॥ 2.16 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
મુખેન - by the face
ચંદ્ર - moon
કાંત - beloved; shining; also the moonstone gem (ચંદ્રકાંત)
ચંદ્રકાંતેન - with moonstone-like radiance (lit. "moon-beloved")
મહા - great; deep; intense
નીલ - blue; dark
મહાનીલૈઃ - with deep blue (in verse: describing hair)
શિરઃ - head
રુહ - growing
શિરોરુહૈઃ - with hair (lit. "head-grown")
કરાભ્યાં - with the two hands
પદ્મરાગ - ruby (lit. "lotus-color gem")
પદ્મરાગાભ્યાં - with ruby-like (hands)
રેજે - shone; appeared splendid
રત્નમયી - made of jewels
ઇવ - like
સા - she

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
With a moonstone-like face, deep-blue hair, and ruby-like hands, she shone as though she were fashioned from jewels.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The poet strings together colors and materials - moonstone, sapphire-blue, ruby - to suggest that beauty feels like a rare harmony of elements. In everyday life, we can read this as a reminder that attraction is often about "composition": how a person carries themselves, how they speak, how they dress, and how their presence feels as a whole. Appreciation becomes healthier when it is paired with gratitude and respect, not possession. If you admire someone, let it refine you: be more attentive, more courteous, and less reactive, so that beauty turns into better behavior rather than restless craving.

A gentle practice is: Let beauty become reverence rather than grasping. આદિ શંકરાચાર્ય opens સૌંદર્ય લહરી with શિવઃ શક્ત્યા યુક્તો યદિ ભવતિ શક્તઃ પ્રભવિતુમ્, hinting that beauty and power are inseparable from awareness. Seen that way, admiration can refine the heart. When respect is present, beauty uplifts; when entitlement is present, beauty binds.

ગુરુણા સ્તનભારેણ મુખચંદ્રેણ ભાસ્વતા ।
શનૈશ્ચરાભ્યાં પાદાભ્યાં રેજે ગ્રહમયીવ સા ॥ 2.17 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
ગુરુણા - by something heavy; also a pun on ગુરુ (Jupiter)
સ્તન - breast
ભાર - burden; weight
સ્તનભારેણ - by the weight of the breasts
મુખ - face
ચંદ્ર - moon
મુખચંદ્રેણ - by the moon-like face
ભાસ્વતા - shining; radiant
શનૈશ્ચરઃ - શનૈશ્ચર (Saturn; "the slow-mover")
શનૈશ્ચરાભ્યાં - with the two (things like) Saturn; here: with the two Saturn-like feet
પાદાભ્યાં - with the two feet
રેજે - shone; appeared splendid
ગ્રહ - planet
મયી - made of; consisting of
ગ્રહમયી - made of planets
ઇવ - like
સા - she

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
With the heavy "guru" of her breast-weight, with a radiant moon-like face, and with two Saturn-like feet, she appeared as though she were made of planets.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
This is a playful example of શ્લેષ (double-meaning): words like ગુરુ, ચંદ્ર, and શનૈશ્ચર simultaneously point to body-features and to celestial planets. In day-to-day living, this reminds us that language can hold multiple layers; what you say can carry humor, affection, and imagery together. It also hints at a practical truth: charm is not only in features, but in how a person is described and remembered. Choose your words with care in relationships - a thoughtful phrase can become a lasting ornament, while a careless one can become a lasting wound.

One more layer is this: Poetry delights, but real love must go beyond features. If you feel enchanted, translate it into care: listen well, keep promises, and honor consent. Admiration that becomes service is ennobling; admiration that becomes possession is painful. Use the verse to remember dignity - yours and the other's.

તસ્યાઃ સ્તનૌ યદિ ઘનૌ જઘનં ચ હારિ
વક્ત્રં ચ ચારુ તવ ચિત્ત કિં આકુલત્વમ્ ।
પુણ્યં કુરુષ્વ યદિ તેષુ તવાસ્તિ વાંછા
પુણ્યૈર્વિના ન હિ ભવંતિ સમીહિતાર્થાઃ ॥ 2.18 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
તસ્યાઃ - of her
સ્તનૌ - the two breasts
યદિ - if
ગનૌ - compact; firm; full
જઘનં - hips; buttocks
ચ - and
હારિ - charming; captivating
વક્ત્રં - face
ચ - and
ચારુ - beautiful; lovely
તવ - your
ચિત્ત - O mind
કિં - why?
આકુલત્વં - agitation; restlessness
પુણ્યં - merit; good fortune earned by right action
કુરુષ્વ - do; perform; cultivate
યદિ - if
તેષુ - toward those; in those (objects)
તવ - your
અસ્તિ - there is
વાંછા - desire; longing
પુણ્યૈઃ - by merits (instrumental pl.)
વિના - without
ન હિ - indeed not
ભવંતિ - happen; become
સમીહિત - desired
અર્થાઃ - objects; aims; outcomes
સમીહિતાર્થાઃ - desired outcomes

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
O mind, if her breasts are full, her hips charming, and her face lovely, why are you so agitated? If you truly desire such things, cultivate merit - without merit, desired outcomes do not come to pass.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
Behind the romance is a grounded message: longing alone does not produce results. If you want something in life - love, stability, success - you must become worthy of it through right effort and right conduct. In modern terms, do not chase; build: improve your character, communication, health, and responsibility, so that you naturally attract what you seek. The verse also cools impulsiveness: when the mind is agitated by desire, it is easy to make foolish promises or compromises. Returning to પુણ્ય (merit; right action) means returning to values.

A helpful way to apply this is: Notice the role of attention. What you repeatedly contemplate becomes your inner landscape. So train attention not only on appearance but also on character - kindness, steadiness, truthfulness. This keeps romance from becoming fragile, because it is rooted in values, not only in sensation.

ઇમે તારુણ્યશ્રીનવપરિમલાઃ પ્રૌઢસુરતપ્રતાપ
પ્રારંભાઃ સ્મરવિજયદાનપ્રતિભુવઃ ।
ચિરં ચેતશ્ચોરા અભિનવવિકારૈકગુરવો
વિલાસવ્યાપારાઃ કિં અપિ વિજયંતે મૃગદૃશામ્ ॥ 2.19 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
ઇમે - these
તારુણ્ય - youth
શ્રી - beauty; splendor
તારુણ્યશ્રી - the splendor of youth
નવ - new; fresh
પરિમલાઃ - fragrance; charm (lit. perfume)
તારુણ્યશ્રીનવપરિમલાઃ - bearing the fresh fragrance of youthful beauty
પ્રૌઢ - mature; fully developed
સુરત - love-play; amorous union
પ્રતાપ - intensity; heat
પ્રારંભાઃ - beginnings; onsets
પ્રૌઢસુરતપ્રતાપપ્રારંભાઃ - onsets of the intensity of mature love-play
સ્મર - Cupid; love
વિજય - victory
દાન - giving; grant
પ્રતિભુવઃ - sources; creators; causes
સ્મરવિજયદાનપ્રતિભુવઃ - sources that grant victory to Cupid
ચિરં - for a long time
ચેતઃ - mind
ચોરઃ - thief
ચેતશ્ચોરાઃ - thieves of the mind
અભિનવ - new
વિકાર - transformation; emotion; change
એક - unique
ગુરવઃ - teachers; masters
અભિનવવિકારૈકગુરવઃ - unique teachers of new emotions/transformations
વિલાસ - graceful play; charm
વ્યાપારાઃ - activities; dealings
વિલાસવ્યાપારાઃ - activities of charm and play
કિં અપિ - something indescribable; somehow; wondrously
વિજયંતે - triumph; prevail
મૃગદૃશાં - of doe-eyed women

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
These activities of doe-eyed women - fragrant with the fresh splendor of youth, beginning the heat of mature love-play, granting victory to Cupid, long-time thieves of the mind, and unique teachers of ever-new emotions - triumph in some indescribable way.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse names what many experience: charm is not one thing, it is a moving field of gestures and moods that keeps the mind learning "new" feelings. In today's relationships, this shows up as novelty and emotional intensity: the mind gets addicted to the freshness of experience. The practical balance is to enjoy romance without becoming a novelty-seeker; depth grows when you value steadiness, not constant stimulation. If you notice your mind becoming a ચેતશ્ચોર (thief of itself), repeatedly stolen by the same triggers, bring attention back to what actually sustains relationship: trust, respect, and consistency.

To carry this wisely: From an inner standpoint, remember that the rush is a wave in the mind. આદિ શંકરાચાર્ય reminds us in આત્મ ષટકમ્, મનો બુદ્ધ્યહંકાર ચિત્તાનિ નાહમ્ (I am not the mind, intellect, ego, or mind-stuff). Returning to that witness does not kill love; it makes love workable, so you can act with dignity instead of being driven.

પ્રણયમધુરાઃ પ્રેમોદ્ગારા રસાશ્રયતાં ગતાઃ
ફણિતિમધુરા મુગ્ધપ્રાયાઃ પ્રકાશિતસમ્મદાઃ ।
પ્રકૃતિસુભગા વિસ્રંભાર્દ્રાઃ સ્મરોદયદાયિની
રહસિ કિં અપિ સ્વૈરાલાપા હરંતિ મૃગીદૃશામ્ ॥ 2.20 ॥

છંદઃ (હરિણી): This is in હરિણી (સમ-વૃત્ત) Chandas/Meter: 4 પાદાઃ, 17 અક્ષરાઃ per પાદ; લઘુ/ગુરુ pattern (per પાદ) is `LLLLLG GGGG LGLLGLG`; યતિ (pause) is after the 6th and 10th syllables in each પાદ.

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
પ્રણય - affection; intimate love
મધુરાઃ - sweet
પ્રણયમધુરાઃ - sweet with affection
પ્રેમ - love
ઉદ્ગારાઃ - outpourings; expressions
પ્રેમોદ્ગારાઃ - expressions of love
રસ - taste; aesthetic flavor; emotional essence
આશ્રયતાં - having taken refuge in; resting upon
ગતાઃ - gone; become
રસાશ્રયતાં ગતાઃ - having become full of રસ
ફણિતિ - speech; utterance
મધુરાઃ - sweet
ફણિતિમધુરાઃ - sweet in speech
મુગ્ધ - innocent; naive
પ્રાયાઃ - mostly; for the most part
મુગ્ધપ્રાયાઃ - mostly innocent
પ્રકાશિત - displayed; revealed
સમ્મદઃ - delight; joyful excitement
પ્રકાશિતસમ્મદાઃ - showing delight
પ્રકૃતિ - nature; innate disposition
સુભગાઃ - charming; pleasing
પ્રકૃતિસુભગાઃ - naturally charming
વિસ્રંભ - trust; confidential ease
આર્દ્રાઃ - moist; tender; softened
વિસ્રંભાર્દ્રાઃ - softened by trust
સ્મર - Cupid; love
ઉદય - arising
દાયિની - giving; producing
સ્મરોદયદાયિની - producing the rise of love
રહસિ - in private; in secrecy
કિં અપિ - something indescribable
સ્વૈર - free; unrestrained
આલાપાઃ - conversation; talk
સ્વૈરાલાપાઃ - free private talk
હરંતિ - steal away; captivate
મૃગીદૃશાં - of doe-eyed women

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
Sweet with affection, rich in outpourings of love and the flavor of emotion; sweet in speech and mostly innocent; naturally charming and softened by trust - the free private conversations of doe-eyed women kindle love and steal the heart.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
This verse points to something timeless: intimacy grows through private conversation - unguarded talk where trust is felt. In modern relationships, the practical application is simple: make space for genuine, unhurried dialogue (without phones, without performance). When વિસ્રંભ (trustful ease) is present, love naturally deepens; when it is absent, even grand gestures feel hollow. The caution is also there: do not outsource your self-worth to another's attention; let conversation be a bridge, not a drug. Build trust through consistency and kindness, and keep romance aligned with respect.

A mature reading suggests: Enjoy beauty without losing balance. Keep the basics steady: sleep, work, friendships, and self-respect. If attraction is mutual, clarity and pace protect it; if it is not, restraint protects you. This is how the verse becomes practical wisdom instead of mere description.

વિશ્રમ્ય વિશ્રમ્ય વનદ્રુમાણાં
છાયાસુ તન્વી વિચચાર કાચિત્ ।
સ્તનોત્તરીયેણ કરોદ્ધૃતેન
નિવારયંતી શશિનો મયૂખાન્ ॥ 2.21 ॥

છંદઃ (ઉપજાતિ): This is in ઉપજાતિ Chandas/Meter: 4 પાદાઃ, 11 અક્ષરાઃ per પાદ; this meter commonly mixes ઇંદ્રવજ્રા (`GGLGGLLGLGG`) and ઉપેંદ્રવજ્રા (`LGLGGLLGLGG`) patterns across પાદાઃ.

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
વિશ્રમ્ય - having rested; resting
વિશ્રમ્ય વિશ્રમ્ય - resting again and again
વન - forest
દ્રુમ - tree
વનદ્રુમાણાં - of forest trees
છાયાસુ - in the shades
તન્વી - a slender woman
વિચચાર - wandered; moved about
કાચિત્ - a certain (woman)
સ્તન - breast
ઉત્તરીય - upper cloth; shawl
સ્તનોત્તરીયેણ - with the upper cloth (at the bosom)
કર - hand
ઉદ્ધૃત - lifted; raised
કરોદ્ધૃતેન - raised by the hand
નિવારયંતી - warding off; shielding
શશિનો - of the moon (શશિન્)
મયૂખાન્ - rays

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
A slender woman wandered, resting again and again in the shade of forest trees, shielding herself from the moon's rays with an upper cloth raised by her hand.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
In શૃંગાર poetry, the moon is not always "cool": for a love-struck mind, moonlight can intensify longing and feel like heat. So the beloved tries to reduce stimulation by seeking shade and by covering herself. In lived experience, this resembles emotional self-regulation: when you are vulnerable - missing someone, overwhelmed, or anxious - even gentle triggers (a song, a place, a memory) can hurt. The practical takeaway is compassionate pacing: take breaks, change environment, and choose what you consume (music, media, conversations) so your mind can settle rather than spiral.

If you want this verse to uplift you: Let beauty become reverence rather than grasping. આદિ શંકરાચાર્ય opens સૌંદર્ય લહરી with શિવઃ શક્ત્યા યુક્તો યદિ ભવતિ શક્તઃ પ્રભવિતુમ્, hinting that beauty and power are inseparable from awareness. Seen that way, admiration can refine the heart. When respect is present, beauty uplifts; when entitlement is present, beauty binds.

અદર્શને દર્શનમાત્રકામા
દૃષ્ટ્વા પરિષ્વંગસુખૈકલોલા ।
આલિંગિતાયાં પુનરાયતાક્ષ્યામાશાસ્મહે
વિગ્રહયોરભેદમ્ ॥ 2.22 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
અદર્શને - in not-seeing; in absence
દર્શન - seeing; sight
માત્ર - merely; only
કામા - desiring (fem.)
દર્શનમાત્રકામા - desiring only a sight
દૃષ્ટ્વા - having seen
પરિષ્વંગ - embrace
સુખ - happiness; pleasure
એક - only
લોલા - eager; restless for
પરિષ્વંગસુખૈકલોલા - eager only for the pleasure of an embrace
આલિંગિતાયાં - when (she is) embraced
પુનર્ - again
આયતાક્ષી - the long-eyed woman (in verse: આયતાક્ષ્યામ્)
આશાસ્મહે - we hope for; we long for
વિગ્રહયોઃ - of the two bodies
અભેદં - non-separation; non-difference; complete union

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
When we cannot see her, we long only for a sight; once we see her, we long only for the pleasure of an embrace; and when embraced, we again long for the complete non-separation of the two bodies.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse traces the escalation of desire: the mind moves from "just one look" to "just one touch" to "never let there be distance." This is a gentle warning as well as a romantic truth: the appetite of attachment can be endless. In ordinary situations, we can use this as વિવેક (discernment): notice when love is becoming hunger and when closeness is becoming control. A mature relationship honors intimacy and also honors space; it does not treat separation as a threat. From an અદ્વૈત (non-duality) angle, the longing for "no difference" can also be read as the soul's deeper thirst for wholeness - and that wholeness ultimately has to be found inwardly, not demanded from another person.

From a broader perspective: Poetry delights, but real love must go beyond features. If you feel enchanted, translate it into care: listen well, keep promises, and honor consent. Admiration that becomes service is ennobling; admiration that becomes possession is painful. Use the verse to remember dignity - yours and the other's.

માલતી શિરસિ જૃંભણં મુખે
ચંદનં વપુષિ કુંકુમાવિલમ્ ।
વક્ષસિ પ્રિયતમા મદાલસા
સ્વર્ગ એષ પરિશિષ્ટ આગમઃ ॥ 2.23 ॥

છંદઃ (રથોદ્ધતા): This is in રથોદ્ધતા (ત્રિષ્ટુભ્ class) Chandas/Meter: 4 પાદાઃ, 11 અક્ષરાઃ per પાદ; લઘુ/ગુરુ pattern (per પાદ) is `GLGLLLGLGLG`.

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
માલતી - jasmine (a fragrant flower)
શિરસિ - on the head
જૃંભણં - blooming; opening (also: a blossoming smile)
મુખે - on the face
ચંદનં - sandal paste
વપુષિ - on the body
કુંકુમ - saffron; vermilion
આવિલં - mixed with; tinged; smeared
કુંકુમાવિલં - tinged with saffron
વક્ષસિ - on the chest
પ્રિયતમા - the beloved woman
મદાલસા - intoxicated and languid; pleasantly drowsy
સ્વર્ગઃ - heaven
એષ - this
પરિશિષ્ટઃ - remaining; leftover
આગમઃ - arrival; attainment; what is to come

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
Jasmine on the head, a blooming smile on the face, sandal paste on the body tinged with saffron, and the beloved lying languid on the chest - this is heaven; anything "to come" is only the remainder.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse is a bold claim: paradise is not somewhere else; it is the lived sweetness of love, fragrance, and closeness in the present. In practical terms, this can be read as an invitation to stop postponing happiness into an abstract future and to learn to honor simple moments of togetherness. At the same time, maturity asks for balance: do not confuse fleeting pleasure with lasting well-being. Let love become a source of gratitude, gentleness, and responsibility - then even ordinary days carry a touch of "heaven" without making you careless or addicted.

On a subtler level: Notice the role of attention. What you repeatedly contemplate becomes your inner landscape. So train attention not only on appearance but also on character - kindness, steadiness, truthfulness. This keeps romance from becoming fragile, because it is rooted in values, not only in sensation.

પ્રાઙ્માં એતિ મનાગનાગતરસં જાતાભિલાષાં તતઃ
સવ્રીડં તદનુ શ્લથોદ્યમં અથ પ્રધ્વસ્તધૈર્યં પુનઃ ।
પ્રેમાર્દ્રં સ્પૃહણીયનિર્ભરરહઃ ક્રીડાપ્રગલ્ભં તતો
નિઃસંગાંગવિકર્ષણાધિકસુખરમ્યં કુલસ્ત્રીરતમ્ ॥ 2.24 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
પ્રાઙ્માં - forward; toward the front
એતિ - goes; moves
મનાગ - a little; slightly
નાગત - attained; arrived at (here: "just reached")
રસં - taste; emotional flavor
મનાગનાગતરસં - having just begun to taste રસ
જાતા - arisen; born
અભિલાષા - desire; longing
જાતાભિલાષાં - with desire awakened
તતઃ - then
સ - with
વ્રીડા - bashfulness; modesty
સવ્રીડં - with bashfulness
તદનુ - after that
શ્લથ - slack; loosened
ઉદ્યમં - effort; attempt
શ્લથોદ્યમં - effort slackened
અથ - then
પ્રધ્વસ્ત - destroyed; shaken down
ધૈર્યં - courage; steadiness
પ્રધ્વસ્તધૈર્યં - courage collapsed
પુનઃ - again
પ્રેમ - love
આર્દ્રં - softened; tender
પ્રેમાર્દ્રં - tender with love
સ્પૃહણીય - desirable; worth longing for
નિર્ભર - intense; overflowing; abundant
રહઃ - secrecy; private moment
સ્પૃહણીયનિર્ભરરહઃ - a deeply desirable, intense private moment
ક્રીડા - play; sport
પ્રગલ્ભં - bold; confident
ક્રીડાપ્રગલ્ભં - bold in playful sport
તતઃ - then
નિઃસંગ - without attachment; detached
અંગ - limb
વિકર્ષણ - drawing back; pulling away
નિઃસંગાંગવિકર્ષણ - detached teasing withdrawal of limbs
અધિક - greater
સુખ - pleasure; ease
રમ્યં - delightful
અધિકસુખરમ્યં - delightful with increased pleasure
કુલ - noble family; respectable household
સ્ત્રી - woman; wife
રતં - love-play; intimacy
કુલસ્ત્રીરતં - the love-play of a respectable woman

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
The love-play of a respectable woman is uniquely delightful: the mind first moves forward and just begins to taste emotion, desire arises; then bashfulness appears and effort slackens, courage collapses again; then it becomes tender with love, then an intensely desirable private moment, then bold play - and finally, playful withdrawals of the limbs that heighten delight.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
This is not merely description; it is an observation about pacing. Intimacy often becomes deeper when there is trust, modesty, and a natural rhythm of approach and retreat, rather than rush and demand. In the way we live now, the practical application is to prioritize safety and consent: let comfort lead, communicate clearly, and respect pauses without taking them as rejection. When affection is patient, it creates room for genuine closeness; when it is impatient, it creates pressure and anxiety. Read this verse as a reminder that the most satisfying connection is not forceful but mutually tuned.

A gentle practice is: A deeper use of શૃંગાર is refinement. When something is beautiful, pause and notice the mind soften. Then let that softness turn into generosity, patience, and gratitude. In this way, beauty becomes a doorway to a better self, not a doorway to restlessness.

ઉરસિ નિપતિતાનાં સ્રસ્તધમ્મિલ્લકાનાં
મુકુલિતનયનાનાં કિંચિદ્ઉન્મીલિતાનામ્ ।
ઉપરિ સુરતખેદસ્વિન્નગંડસ્થલાનામધર
મધુ વધૂનાં ભાગ્યવંતઃ પિબંતિ ॥ 2.25 ॥

છંદઃ (માલિની): This is in માલિની (સમ-વૃત્ત) Chandas/Meter: 4 પાદાઃ, 15 અક્ષરાઃ per પાદ; લઘુ/ગુરુ pattern (per પાદ) is `LLLLLLGG GLGGLGG`; યતિ (pause) is after the 8th syllable in each પાદ.

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
ઉરસિ - on the chest
નિપતિત - fallen; lying down upon
ઉરસિ નિપતિતાનાં - of those who have fallen on the chest
સ્રસ્ત - loosened; fallen apart
ધમ્મિલ્લ - a braided/bound hair-knot; hair arrangement
સ્રસ્તધમ્મિલ્લકાનાં - of those whose hair-knots are loosened/disheveled
મુકુલિત - closed like a bud; shut
નયન - eye
મુકુલિતનયનાનાં - of those with closed eyes
કિંચિત્ - slightly
ઉન્મીલિત - opened
કિંચિદ્ઉન્મીલિતાનાં - of those with eyes slightly opened (read as કિંચિદુન્મીલિતાનાં)
ઉપરિ - above; on top
સુરત - love-play; amorous union
ખેદ - fatigue; weariness
સ્વિન્ન - sweating; perspiring
ગંડસ્થલ - cheek-region
સુરતખેદસ્વિન્નગંડસ્થલાનાં - of those whose cheeks are moist with the fatigue of love-play
અધર - lower lip
મધુ - honey; nectar
અધર્ મધુ - the honey of the lips
વધૂનાં - of young women; brides
ભાગ્યવંતઃ - fortunate ones
પિબંતિ - drink

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
The fortunate drink the honey of the lips of women who lie upon their chest, hair disheveled, eyes closed yet slightly opening, cheeks moist with the fatigue of love-play.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
This verse focuses less on action and more on tenderness after intensity - the closeness, the softness, the quiet satisfaction. At home and at work, this points to the importance of aftercare: affection that continues after passion, through gentle touch, kind words, and presence. Relationships become safer and happier when intimacy is not treated as a transaction but as a shared experience that includes care and respect. The deeper teaching is simple: love is not only excitement; it is also warmth, protection, and attentiveness in the quiet moments.

One more layer is this: Enjoy beauty without losing balance. Keep the basics steady: sleep, work, friendships, and self-respect. If attraction is mutual, clarity and pace protect it; if it is not, restraint protects you. This is how the verse becomes practical wisdom instead of mere description.

આમીલિતનયનાનાં યઃ
સુરતરસોઽનુ સંવિદં ભાતિ ।
મિથુરૈર્મિથોઽવધારિતમવિતથમ્
ઇદં એવ કામનિર્બર્હણમ્ ॥ 2.26 ॥

છંદઃ (માત્રા-ચંદસ્): This is in a માત્રા-based Chandas/Meter (not a fixed અક્ષર-count વૃત્ત): in this verse, the written segments carry approximately 14 + 16 + 21 + 16 માત્રાઃ (total 67); treat લઘુ=1 માત્રા and ગુરુ=2 માત્રાઃ, and keep the natural pauses at the segment ends marked by `।`/`॥` (do not confuse દંડ with internal યતિ).

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
આમીલિત - half-closed; shut (as the eyes)
નયન - eye
આમીલિતનયનાનાં - of those whose eyes are half-closed
યઃ - which; that (thing)
સુરત - love-play; amorous union
રસઃ - taste; રસ (aesthetic flavor)
સુરતરસઃ - the flavor of love-play
અનુ - along with; in accordance with; after (verse: સુરતરસોઽનુ = સુરતરસઃ + અનુ)
સંવિદં - mutual understanding; shared inner communication
ભાતિ - shines; appears; becomes evident
મિથુનૈઃ - by couples; by pairs
મિથો - mutually; between each other (verse: મિથોઽવધારિતં = મિથો + અવધારિતં)
અવધારિતં - determined; ascertained
અવિતથં - true; not false
ઇદં - this
એવ - alone; indeed
કામ - desire; love
નિર્બર્હણં - completion; fulfilment; bringing to full measure
કામનિર્બર્હણં - fulfilment of desire/love

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
That which shines as the shared, unspoken understanding within love-play - when eyes are half-closed - and which couples mutually recognize as true: this alone is the fulfilment of love.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse points to a subtle dimension of intimacy: beyond words, there is સંવિદ્ (shared understanding), a quiet mutual attunement that only the two involved can fully know. These days, this translates to emotional presence: listening, responding, and being sensitive to comfort and consent. The practical takeaway is that love is not merely performance; it is mutuality. When communication is honest and respectful, closeness becomes nourishing; when it is absent, even outward romance can feel empty.

A helpful way to apply this is: Treat desire as a signal, not a verdict. Attraction shows what the mind likes, but it does not decide what is right. Pause and ask: will this increase trust or reduce it; will it make tomorrow lighter or heavier? That small pause is વિવેક (discernment). When you choose transparency and boundaries early, love stays dignified and does not turn into compulsion.

ઇદં અનુચિતં અક્રમશ્ચ પુંસાં
યદિહ જરાસ્વપિ મન્મથા વિકારાઃ ।
તદપિ ચ ન કૃતં નિતંબિનીનાં
સ્તનપતનાવધિ જીવિતં રતં વા ॥ 2.27 ॥

છંદઃ (માત્રા-ચંદસ્): This is in a માત્રા-based Chandas/Meter (not a fixed અક્ષર-count વૃત્ત): in this verse, the written segments carry approximately 18 + 19 + 16 + 19 માત્રાઃ (total 72); treat લઘુ=1 માત્રા and ગુરુ=2 માત્રાઃ, and keep the natural pauses at the segment ends marked by `।`/`॥` (do not confuse દંડ with internal યતિ).

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
ઇદં - this
અનુચિતં - improper; not fitting
અક્રમઃ - out of order; not appropriate to the stage
ચ - and
પુંસાં - for men; of men
યદિ - if
ઇહ - here; in this world
જરાસુ - in old age; in aging (loc. pl.)
અપિ - even
મન્મથા - of મન્મથ (Cupid); of desire
વિકારાઃ - changes; stirrings; transformations
તદપિ - even so; nevertheless
ચ - and
ન - not
કૃતં - done; applied; (here) "not so"
નિતંબિનીનાં - of women with shapely hips
સ્તન - breast
પતન - falling; drooping
અવધિ - limit; until
સ્તનપતનાવધિ - until the breasts droop (a sign of age)
જીવિતં - life
રતં - love-play; delight; attachment
વા - or; indeed

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
It is improper and out of order for men if the stirrings of desire persist even in old age; yet, for women of shapely hips it is not said to be so - as though their life remains love and delight until the signs of age appear.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
This verse reflects an old poetic voice and the social assumptions of its time, so it should be read with caution rather than as a universal judgment. A useful modern reading is to notice the broader theme: desire does not simply obey age, and society often polices it differently for different people. The healthier approach is મર્યાદા (dignity and boundaries) and mutual respect: affection and intimacy can exist at any age when there is consent, care, and responsibility. When a verse carries a biased lens, we can still extract વિવેક (discernment) by separating cultural stereotype from the underlying psychological observation.

To carry this wisely: Poetry delights, but real love must go beyond features. If you feel enchanted, translate it into care: listen well, keep promises, and honor consent. Admiration that becomes service is ennobling; admiration that becomes possession is painful. Use the verse to remember dignity - yours and the other's.

રાજસ્તૃષ્ણાંબુરાશેર્ન હિ જગતિ ગતઃ કશ્ચિદેવાવસાનં
કો વાર્થોઽર્થૈઃ પ્રભૂતૈઃ સ્વવપુષિ ગલિતે યૌવને સાનુરાગે ।
ગચ્છામઃ સદ્મ યાવદ્વિકસિતનયનેંદીવરાલોકિનીનામાક્રમ્યાક્રમ્ય
રૂપં ઝટિતિ ન જરયા લુપ્યતે પ્રેયસીનામ્ ॥ 2.28 ॥

છંદઃ (સ્રગ્ધરા): This is in સ્રગ્ધરા (સમ-વૃત્ત) Chandas/Meter: 4 પાદાઃ, 21 અક્ષરાઃ per પાદ; લઘુ/ગુરુ pattern (per પાદ) is `GGGGLGG LLLLLLG GLGGLGG`; યતિ (pause) is after the 7th and 14th syllables in each પાદ.

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
રાજઃ - royal splendor; power; worldly glory
તૃષ્ણા - thirst; craving
અંબુ - water
રાશિઃ - heap; mass; ocean-like expanse
રાજસ્તૃષ્ણાંબુરાશિઃ - the ocean of craving for royal/worldly splendor
ન હિ - indeed not
જગતિ - in the world
ગતઃ - gone; reached
કશ્ચિત્ - anyone
એવ - ever
અવસાનં - end; limit
કઃ - what?
અર્થઃ - meaning; use
અર્થૈઃ - with wealth; with riches
પ્રભૂતૈઃ - abundant; plentiful
સ્વ - one's own
વપુષિ - in the body
ગલિતે - slipping away; decaying; melting down
યૌવને - when youth is present (or: when youth is passing)
સાનુરાગે - with passion; with love present
ગચ્છામઃ - let us go
સદ્મ - house; home
યાવત્ - while; as long as
વિકસિત - opened; blossomed
નયન - eye
એંદીવર - blue lotus
આલોકિનીનાં - of those who look; the lotus-eyed women
આક્રામ્ય - approaching; stepping into; going to
આક્રામ્ય આક્રામ્ય - again and again; repeatedly
રૂપં - beauty; form
ઝટિતિ - quickly
ન - not
જરયા - by old age
લુપ્યતે - is destroyed; is lost
પ્રેયસીનાં - of beloved women

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
There is no end, in this world, to the ocean of craving for power and splendor. What is the use of abundant wealth when youth and passion slip away from the body? Let us go, again and again, to the homes of lotus-eyed beloveds while their beauty is not yet quickly taken away by old age.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
This is "carpe diem" શૃંગાર: it reminds us that youth is fleeting, so the mind argues for enjoyment now. A mature reading keeps both sides: yes, impermanence is real; and yes, chasing pleasure without વિવેક can create suffering. In daily interactions, the wiser application is to value what youth enables - health, learning, meaningful work, and loving relationships - without reducing life to endless consumption. Let the awareness of time passing produce gratitude and urgency toward what is wholesome, not reckless indulgence.

A mature reading suggests: Notice the role of attention. What you repeatedly contemplate becomes your inner landscape. So train attention not only on appearance but also on character - kindness, steadiness, truthfulness. This keeps romance from becoming fragile, because it is rooted in values, not only in sensation.

રાગસ્યાગારં એકં નરકશતમહાદુઃખસંપ્રાપ્તિહેતુર્મોહસ્યોત્પત્તિ
બીજં જલધરપટલં જ્ઞાનતારાધિપસ્ય ।
કંદર્પસ્યૈકમિત્રં પ્રકટિતવિવિધસ્પષ્ટદોષપ્રબંધં
લોકેઽસ્મિન્ન હ્યર્થવ્રજકુલભવનયૌવનાદન્યદસ્તિ ॥ 2.29 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
રાગસ્ય - of passion; of attachment
આગારં - house; abode
એકં - one; only
નરક - hell
શત - hundred
મહા - great
દુઃખ - suffering; sorrow
સંપ્રાપ્તિ - attainment; coming upon
હેતુઃ - cause
નરકશતમહાદુઃખસંપ્રાપ્તિહેતુઃ - cause of many hell-like great sufferings
મોહસ્ય - of delusion
ઉત્પત્તિ - origin; birth
બીજં - seed
મોહસ્યોત્પત્તિબીજં - the seed of delusion's birth
જલધર - cloud
પટલં - mass; layer
જલધરપટલં - a mass of clouds
જ્ઞાન - knowledge
તારાધિપ - lord of stars (moon)
જ્ઞાનતારાધિપસ્ય - of the "moon" of knowledge (poetic image)
કંદર્પસ્ય - of Cupid; of desire
એક - one; sole
મિત્રં - friend
કંદર્પસ્યૈકમિત્રં - Cupid's sole friend
પ્રકટિત - manifest; revealed
વિવિધ - various
સ્પષ્ટ - clear; evident
દોષા - faults; defects
પ્રબંધં - chain; connected series
પ્રકટિતવિવિધસ્પષ્ટદોષપ્રબંધં - a connected chain of clearly evident faults
લોકે - in the world
અસ્મિન્ - in this
હિ - indeed
અર્થ - wealth
વ્રજ - crowd; retinue; multitude
કુલ - family; clan
ભવન - house; home
યૌવન - youth
અન્યત્ - other
અસ્તિ - exists
અર્થવ્રજકુલભવનયૌવનાદ્ અન્યદ્ અસ્તિ - there is something other than wealth, retinue, family, home, and youth (used in the verse to say: there is nothing else)

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
Youth is the sole abode of passion; the cause of countless hell-like sufferings; the seed from which delusion is born; a mass of clouds that hides the moon of wisdom; Cupid's closest friend; and a chain of clearly visible faults. Indeed, in this world people seem to know nothing beyond wealth, retinue, family, home, and youth.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
This verse flips the romantic lens and shows youth as a double-edged power: it fuels joy and also fuels મોહ (delusion). In common experience, we see this in the way youth can intensify comparison, impulsiveness, and identity built on appearances. The practical takeaway is not cynicism but વિવેક: use youth for what lasts - learning, skill, health, and relationships grounded in respect - rather than being swept away by રાગ (attachment) and status-hunger. When the verse says "clouds hide the moon of knowledge", it is pointing to a timeless pattern: desire can dim clarity unless we consciously protect it.

If you want this verse to uplift you: From an inner standpoint, remember that the rush is a wave in the mind. આદિ શંકરાચાર્ય reminds us in આત્મ ષટકમ્, મનો બુદ્ધ્યહંકાર ચિત્તાનિ નાહમ્ (I am not the mind, intellect, ego, or mind-stuff). Returning to that witness does not kill love; it makes love workable, so you can act with dignity instead of being driven.

શૃંગારદ્રુમનીરદે પ્રસૃમરક્રીડારસસ્રોતસિ
પ્રદ્યુમ્નપ્રિયબાંધવે ચતુરવાઙ્મુક્તાફલોદન્વતિ ।
તન્વીનેત્રચકોરપાવનવિધૌ સૌભાગ્યલક્ષ્મીનિધૌ
ધન્યઃ કોઽપિ ન વિક્રિયાં કલયતિ પ્રાપ્તે નવે યૌવને ॥ 2.30 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
શૃંગાર - romance; love; beauty
દ્રુમ - tree
નીરદ - cloud (lit. "water-giver")
શૃંગારદ્રુમનીરદે - in the raincloud of the love-tree (poetic image for youth)
પ્રસૃમર - spreading; flowing forth
ક્રીડા - play; sport
રસ - flavor; emotional essence
સ્રોતસિ - in the stream
પ્રસૃમરક્રીડારસસ્રોતસિ - in the stream of flowing playful રસ
પ્રદ્યુમ્ન - પ્રદ્યુમ્ન (associated with Cupid in tradition)
પ્રિય - dear
બાંધવ - relative; friend; ally
પ્રદ્યુમ્નપ્રિયબાંધવે - dear friend/kinsman of પ્રદ્યુમ્ન (i.e., of Cupid; love)
ચતુર - clever; skillful
વાક્ - speech
મુક્તા - pearl
ફલ - fruit
ઉદન્વતિ - abounding; like an ocean (lit. "watery")
ચતુરવાઙ્મુક્તાફલોદન્વતિ - an ocean abounding in the pearl-fruits of clever speech
તન્વી - slender woman
નેત્ર - eye
ચકોર - the ચકોર bird (mythically drinks moonlight)
પાવન - purifying
વિધિ - rite; method
તન્વીનેત્રચકોરપાવનવિધૌ - as if the rite that refreshes/purifies the ચકોર of a slender woman's eyes (poetic image)
સૌભાગ્ય - fortune; good luck
લક્ષ્મી - prosperity; beauty
નિધૌ - in the treasure
સૌભાગ્યલક્ષ્મીનિધૌ - in the treasure-house of fortune and beauty
ધન્યઃ - blessed; fortunate
કઃ અપિ - anyone at all
ન - not
વિક્રિયાં - change; transformation; agitation
કલયતિ - experiences; produces
પ્રાપ્તે - when attained; when it arrives
નવે - new; fresh
યૌવને - in youth

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
When fresh youth arrives - like a raincloud nourishing the tree of romance, like a stream overflowing with playful delight, like an ocean rich with pearl-like clever speech, like a treasure-house of fortune and beauty - who, even among the blessed, does not undergo a transformation?

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
This verse acknowledges an obvious truth: youth alters everyone. It changes how we speak, how we dream, what we chase, and what we fear. In contemporary life, this can be used wisely: channel youth's energy into skills, creativity, and meaningful relationships rather than wasting it in constant distraction. The poet's lush metaphors also hint at responsibility: what is abundant now will not remain forever, so use it well. When you treat youth as a resource to cultivate વિવેક (discernment) and character, it becomes a blessing rather than a storm.

From a broader perspective: Enjoy beauty without losing balance. Keep the basics steady: sleep, work, friendships, and self-respect. If attraction is mutual, clarity and pace protect it; if it is not, restraint protects you. This is how the verse becomes practical wisdom instead of mere description.

સંસારેઽસ્મિન્નસારે કુનૃપતિભવનદ્વારસેવાકલંકવ્યાસંગ
વ્યસ્તધૈર્યં કથં અમલધિયો માનસં સંવિદધ્યુઃ ।
યદ્યેતાઃ પ્રોદ્યદ્ઇંદુદ્યુતિનિચયભૃતો ન સ્યુરંભોજનેત્રાઃ
પ્રેંખત્કાંચીકલાપાઃ સ્તનભરવિનમન્મધ્યભાજસ્તરુણ્યઃ ॥ 2.31 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
સંસારે - in worldly life; in સંસાર (the cycle of becoming)
અસ્મિન્ - in this (verse: સંસારેઽસ્મિન્ = સંસારે + અસ્મિન્)
અસારે - without essence; tasteless
કુ - bad; base
નૃપતિ - king; ruler
કુનૃપતિ - a petty/bad ruler (lit. કુ + નૃપતિ)
ભવન - house; palace
દ્વાર - door; gate
સેવા - service; attendance
કુનૃપતિભવનદ્વારસેવા - humiliating service at the gate of a petty ruler's palace
કલંક - stain; disgrace
વ્યાસંગ - strong attachment; clinging
કલંકવ્યાસંગ - disgraceful clinging (to such service)
વ્યસ્ત - scattered; disordered
ધૈર્યં - courage; steadiness
વ્યસ્તધૈર્યં - with courage scattered
કથં - how
અમલ - pure; stainless
ધિયાઃ - minds/intellects; the discerning (verse: ધિયો = ધિયાઃ)
અમલધિયાઃ - the pure-minded; the discerning (verse: અમલધિયો = અમલધિયાઃ)
માનસં - mind
સંવિદધ્યુઃ - would compose; would set in order
યદિ - if
એતાઃ - these (women)
પ્રોદ્યદ્ઇંદુ - rising moon (the verse uses for a join; read as પ્રોદ્યદિંદુ)
દ્યુતિ - radiance
નિચય - heap; multitude
ભૃતઃ - bearing; possessing (verse: ભૃતો = ભૃતઃ)
પ્રોદ્યદ્ઇંદુદ્યુતિનિચયભૃતઃ - bearing a heap of radiance like a newly risen moon
અંભોજ - lotus
નેત્રાઃ - eyes
અંભોજનેત્રાઃ - lotus-eyed
પ્રેઙઃઅત્ - swaying; moving about
કાંચી - girdle (often with bells)
કલાપઃ - cluster; collection
પ્રેઙઃઅત્કાંચીકલાપાઃ - with swaying, tinkling girdles
સ્તન - breast
બર - burden; weight
વિનમત્ - bent down
મધ્ય - waist; middle
ભાજઃ - possessing; having
સ્તનભરવિનમન્મધ્યભાજઃ - having waists gently bent by the weight of the breasts
તરુણ્યઃ - young women
ન સ્યુઃ - were not; did not exist

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
In this essence-less world, tainted by humiliating service at the gates of petty rulers, how could the minds of the pure-hearted ever stay composed - if these young women did not exist: lotus-eyed, shining like a newly risen moon, their girdles swaying, their waists gently bent beneath youthful fullness?

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The poet calls સંસાર (worldly life) અસાર (without lasting essence) because it can demand compromise, flattery, and the slow scattering of ધૈર્ય (steadiness). Yet he admits that beauty and affection keep people engaged with life: love can make hardship bearable. In everyday life, this can be noble (working hard to support a family and build a home together), but it can also become corrosive if attraction pushes us into કલંક (loss of integrity) - staying in environments that erode self-respect just to please someone. The practical અનુસંધાન is to let love inspire effort while letting વિવેક (discernment) guard boundaries and values.

On a subtler level: Many of these verses describe the dance of closeness and distance. In real relationships, small signals carry meaning, but they are often ambiguous. Replace assumption with conversation. When pride arises, soften it with kindness; when fear arises, address it with honesty. Clarity makes love lighter.

સિદ્ધાધ્યાસિતકંદરે હરવૃષસ્કંધાવરુગ્ણદ્રુમે
ગંગાધૌતશિલાતલે હિમવતઃ સ્થાને સ્થિતે શ્રેયસિ ।
કઃ કુર્વીત શિરઃ પ્રણામમલિનં મ્લાનં મનસ્વી જનો
યદ્વિત્રસ્તકુરંગશાવનયના ન સ્યુઃ સ્મરાસ્ત્રં સ્ત્રિયઃ ॥ 2.32 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
સિદ્ધ - the accomplished; perfected beings
અધ્યાસિત - inhabited; occupied
કંદરે - in the cave
સિદ્ધાધ્યાસિતકંદરે - in a cave inhabited by સિદ્ધs
હર - શિવ
વૃષ - bull
સ્કંધ - shoulder
અવરુગ્ણ - broken; rubbed down; battered
દ્રુમે - on the tree
હરવૃષસ્કંધાવરુગ્ણદ્રુમે - on trees battered by the shoulders of Shiva's bull
ગંગા - the river ગંગા
ધૌત - washed; cleansed
શિલા - rock; stone
તલં - surface; ground
ગંગાધૌતશિલાતલે - on rock-surfaces washed by the ગંગા
હિમવતઃ - of the Himalaya
સ્થાને - in the place
સ્થિતે - situated
શ્રેયસિ - auspicious; excellent
કઃ - who
કુર્વીત - would do; would make
શિરઃ - head
પ્રણામ - bowing; salutation; prostration
મલિનં - soiled; dirty
પ્રણામમલિનં - soiled by prostrations
મ્લાનં - wilted; drooping
મનસ્વી - spirited; high-minded
જનઃ - person
વિત્રસ્ત - frightened
કુરંગ - deer
શાવ - fawn
નયના - eyes (f.)
કુરંગશાવનયના - having eyes like a frightened fawn
સ્મરાસ્ત્રં - Cupid's weapon; love's arrow
સ્ત્રિયઃ - women
ન સ્યુઃ - were not

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
Even in a most auspicious Himalayan retreat - caves inhabited by spiritual adepts, rocks washed by the river Ganga, and forest traces of Shiva's bull - what spirited person would let the head be soiled by repeated bowing and the mind droop, if women with frightened-fawn eyes were not Cupid's weapons?

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse is a reminder that changing place does not automatically change the mind. Even in sacred, quiet surroundings, attraction can make us bend, plead, and lose inner brightness. In day-to-day living, this shows up when we think a new city, a new job, or even a retreat will fix restlessness - but the same tendencies (વાસના, latent habits) travel with us. The antidote is inner training: સંયમ (self-restraint) and ધ્યાન (steady attention) so that a moment of fascination does not collapse dignity. Outer purity helps, but true freedom is an inside skill.

A gentle practice is: Poetry delights, but real love must go beyond features. If you feel enchanted, translate it into care: listen well, keep promises, and honor consent. Admiration that becomes service is ennobling; admiration that becomes possession is painful. Use the verse to remember dignity - yours and the other's.

સંસાર તવ પર્યંતપદવી ન દવીયસી ।
અંતરા દુસ્તરા ન સ્યુર્યદિ તે મદિરેક્ષણામ્ ॥ 2.33 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
સંસાર - worldly life; the cycle of becoming
તવ - your; for you
પર્યંત - end; limit
પદવી - path; road
દવીયસી - far; distant
ન - not
અંતરા - in between; the interval
દુસ્તરા - hard to cross; difficult to pass through
ન સ્યુઃ - would not be
યદિ - if
તે - your
મદિરા - wine; intoxication
ઈક્ષણં - look; glance; eyes
મદિરેક્ષણા - wine-eyed (voc.); one whose glance intoxicates

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
The road through this worldly life does not feel long, and the stretch in between does not feel hard to cross, if your intoxicating eyes are with me.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
Companionship changes the felt weight of time. Hard journeys become lighter when there is affection, shared laughter, and a sense of being seen. In our daily routines, even tedious responsibilities - commuting, caregiving, building a career - can feel meaningful when there is a loving partner at the center. At the same time, the verse hints at how powerful a "glance" can be: attraction can make us underestimate difficulties. The practical અનુસંધાન is to let love encourage endurance, while still planning realistically and not letting romance erase prudence.

One more layer is this: Notice the role of attention. What you repeatedly contemplate becomes your inner landscape. So train attention not only on appearance but also on character - kindness, steadiness, truthfulness. This keeps romance from becoming fragile, because it is rooted in values, not only in sensation.

દિશ વનહરિણીભ્યો વંશકાંડચ્છવીનાં
કવલં ઉપલકોટિચ્છિન્નમૂલં કુશાનામ્ ।
શકયુવતિકપોલાપાંડુતાંબૂલવલ્લીદલમ્
અરુણનખાગ્રૈઃ પાટિતં વા વધૂભ્યઃ ॥ 2.34 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
દિશ - give; offer; grant
વન - forest
હરિણી - doe (female deer)
વન-હરિણીભ્યઃ - to the forest does
વંશ - bamboo
કાંડ - stalk; stem
ચ્ચવિ - color; appearance
વંશકાંડચ્છવિ - having the color of a bamboo-stalk
કવલં - a mouthful; morsel
ઉપલ - stone
કોટિ - edge; tip
ચ્છિન્ન - cut
મૂલં - root
કુશાનાં - of કુશ grass
ઉપલકોટિચ્છિન્નમૂલં - with roots cut by the edge of a stone
શક - શક (name of a people, used poetically)
યુવતિ - young woman
કપોલ - cheek
પાંડુ - pale
તાંબૂલ - betel; betel-leaf
વલ્લી - creeper
દલં - leaf
શકયુવતિકપોલાપાંડુતાંબૂલવલ્લીદલમ્ - a betel-leaf pale like the cheeks of શક maidens
અરુણ - reddish
નખાગ્ર - nail-tip
અરુણનખાગ્રૈઃ - with reddish nail-tips
પાટિતં - torn; split
વા - or
વધૂભ્યઃ - to brides; to young women

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
To deer, offer a morsel of sacred grass, pale as bamboo-stalks and with roots cut clean by stone; to brides, offer a betel-leaf, pale as a maiden's cheek and torn by the reddish tips of nails.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
ભર્તૃહરિ's શૃંગાર often works by letting the same object be seen in two worlds at once: the natural world (deer, grass, bamboo) and the human world (cheeks, nails, betel). Love sharpens perception and association - you start noticing small details, and ordinary things begin to echo a beloved's features. In today's relationships, this is the psychology of memory: a color, a scent, or a song becomes a "hook" that brings someone to mind instantly. The verse invites us to appreciate that poetic sensitivity, while also remembering that strong associations can both enrich life and make longing sharper.

A helpful way to apply this is: A deeper use of શૃંગાર is refinement. When something is beautiful, pause and notice the mind soften. Then let that softness turn into generosity, patience, and gratitude. In this way, beauty becomes a doorway to a better self, not a doorway to restlessness.

અસારાઃ સર્વે તે વિરતિવિરસાઃ પાપવિષયા
જુગુપ્સ્યંતાં યદ્વા નનુ સકલદોષાસ્પદં ઇતિ ।
તથાપ્યેતદ્ભૂમૌ નહિ પરહિતાત્પુણ્યં અધિકં
ન ચાસ્મિન્સંસારે કુવલયદૃશો રમ્યં અપરમ્ ॥ 2.35 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
અસારાઃ - without essence; worthless
સર્વે - all
તે - those; these
વિરતિ - dispassion; turning away
વિરસાઃ - tasteless; devoid of રસ
પાપ - sinful; harmful
વિષયાઃ - objects (of sense); pursuits
જુગુપ્સ્યંતાં - let them be detested
યદ્વા - or else; even if
નનુ - indeed
સકલ - all
દોષાસ્પદં - a seat/abode of faults
ઇતિ - thus
તથાપિ - even so; nevertheless
એતદ્ - on this
ભૂમૌ - on earth
નહિ - there is not
પરહિત - welfare of others
પુણ્યં - merit; virtue
અધિકં - greater
ન ચ - nor
અસ્મિન્ - in this
સંસારે - world; worldly life
કુવલય - blue lotus
દૃશઃ - eyes; the one with such eyes
કુવલયદૃશઃ - the lotus-eyed (woman)
રમ્યં - delightful; beautiful
અપરં - other; different

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
Let all sense-objects be declared worthless, tasteless to the dispassionate, and to be shunned as an abode of faults; yet on this earth there is no virtue greater than working for others' welfare, and in this world there is no delight greater than the eyes of a lotus-eyed beloved.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
This verse offers a surprisingly balanced take: even if worldly pursuits can be પાપવિષય (harmful when misused) and empty to someone with વિરતિ (dispassion), life still has two undeniable lights. One is પરહિત - acting for others' good - which becomes the highest પુણ્ય (merit). The other is the intimate joy of beauty and love, symbolized by the lotus-eyed glance. In real-world settings, this reads as a wise pairing: build a life that serves (family, community, honest work) and also a life that loves (tenderness, art, relationships). From an અદ્વૈત lens, પરહિત naturally arises when the boundary between "me" and "other" softens; compassion becomes practical, not sentimental.

To carry this wisely: Enjoy beauty without losing balance. Keep the basics steady: sleep, work, friendships, and self-respect. If attraction is mutual, clarity and pace protect it; if it is not, restraint protects you. This is how the verse becomes practical wisdom instead of mere description.

એતત્કામફલો લોકે યદ્દ્વયોરેકચિત્તતા ।
અન્યચિત્તકૃતે કામે શવયોરિવ સંગમઃ ॥ 2.35.1 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
એતત્ - this
કામ - love; desire
ફલં - fruit; result
લોકે - in the world
યદ્ - which; that
દ્વયોઃ - of two (people)
એક - one
ચિત્તતા - one-pointedness; being of one mind
એકચિત્તતા - being of one mind; mutual attunement
અન્ય - other
ચિત્ત - mind
કૃતે - when done; when made (i.e., directed elsewhere)
અન્યચિત્તકૃતે - when one's mind is elsewhere
કામે - in love
શવયોઃ - of two corpses
ઇવ - like
સંગમઃ - union; meeting

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
The real fruit of love in this world is two people becoming of one mind; when love is with someone whose mind is elsewhere, their union is like the meeting of two corpses.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
શૃંગાર is not just about physical closeness; it insists on એકચિત્તતા - mutual presence and attunement. A relationship where one person is emotionally absent can feel lifeless even if the outer forms remain. In our daily routines, this shows up when partners share space but not attention: one is always scrolling, always elsewhere, always "busy". The verse pushes a practical ethic: if you want love to be living, bring your mind to where your body is - and ask for the same in return through honest conversation and boundaries.

માત્સર્યં ઉત્સાર્ય વિચાર્ય કાર્યમાર્યાઃ
સમર્યાદં ઇદં વદંતુ ।
સેવ્યા નિતંબાઃ કિં ઉ ભૂધરાણામત
સ્મરસ્મેરવિલાસિનીનામ્ ॥ 2.36 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
માત્સર્યમ્ - envy; jealousy
ઉત્સાર્ય - casting away; removing
વિચાર્ય - reflecting upon; considering
કાર્યં - what is to be done; what is worthwhile
આર્યાઃ - the noble; cultured people
સમર્યાદં - with propriety; within bounds
ઇદં - this
વદંતુ - may they say
સેવ્યાઃ - to be served; worthy of pursuit
નિતંબાઃ - hips; buttocks
કિં ઉ - whether indeed
ભૂધરાણાં - of mountains
અત - or rather
સ્મર - Cupid; love
સ્મેર - smiling
વિલાસિનીનાં - of playful, graceful women
સ્મરસ્મેરવિલાસિનીનાં - of women whose play is smiling with love

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
Let the noble, setting aside envy and thinking clearly about what is worth pursuing, say this with propriety: are the hips we should "serve" those of mountains - or rather those of love-smiling, playful women?

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse is playful, but it begins with a serious prescription: drop માત્સર્ય (jealousy) and think about what truly deserves your energy. Envy makes us chase status and comparisons; love makes us notice beauty and closeness. In lived experience, this can be read as a shift from competitive obsession to relational joy: instead of burning time proving ourselves to others, invest in the warmth of partnership, art, and a life with મર્યાદા (healthy limits). The humor also reminds us to keep desire civilized: શૃંગાર should elevate, not degrade.

A mature reading suggests: Treat desire as a signal, not a verdict. Attraction shows what the mind likes, but it does not decide what is right. Pause and ask: will this increase trust or reduce it; will it make tomorrow lighter or heavier? That small pause is વિવેક (discernment). When you choose transparency and boundaries early, love stays dignified and does not turn into compulsion.

સંસારે સ્વપ્નસારે પરિણતિતરલે દ્વે ગતી પંડિતાનાં
તત્ત્વજ્ઞાનામૃતાંભઃપ્લવલલિતધિયાં યાતુ કાલઃ કથંચિત્ ।
નો ચેન્મુગ્ધાંગનાનાં સ્તનજઘનઘનાભોગસંભોગિનીનાં
સ્થૂલોપસ્થસ્થલીષુ સ્થગિતકરતલસ્પર્શલીલોદ્યમાનામ્ ॥ 2.37 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
સંસારે - in worldly life; in સંસાર
સ્વપ્ન - dream
સારે - having as its essence; resembling (verse: સ્વપ્નસારે = dream-like)
પરિણતિ - change; outcome; ripening
તરલે - unstable; fickle
દ્વે - two
ગતી - paths; ways
પંડિતાનાં - of the learned
તત્ત્વ - reality; principle
જ્ઞાન - knowledge
અમૃત - nectar; immortal
અંભઃ - water
પ્લવ - boat; raft
લલિત - delighting in; playing in
ધિયાં - of minds/intellects
તત્ત્વજ્ઞાનામૃતાંભઃપ્લવલલિતધિયાં - whose minds delight in the raft-like nectar-water of truth-knowledge
યાતુ - let it pass/go
કાલઃ - time
કથંચિત્ - somehow; in some way
નો ચેત્ - otherwise; if not
મુગ્ધ - innocent; naive
અંગનાનાં - of women
સ્તન - breast
જઘન - hip; buttocks
ગન - mass; heaviness
ભોગ - enjoyment; fullness
સંભોગિનીનાં - of those who are enjoyed/embraced
સ્થૂલ - broad
ઉપસ્થ - lap; loins
સ્થલીષુ - in places/regions
સ્થગિત - hidden; placed
કર-તલ - palm of the hand
સ્પર્શ - touch
લીલા - play
ઉદ્યમાનાં - striving; engaged in

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
In this dream-like and ever-shifting world, the learned have only two meaningful ways for time to pass: either through minds delighting in truth-knowledge - a raft of nectar - or else (if not that) amid the intimate play of innocent young women, rich in youthful abundance.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
ભર્તૃહરિ draws a sharp line: in a world that is સ્વપ્નસાર (dream-like) and તરલ (unstable), do not waste your limited કાલ (time) on trivialities. Choose depth - either the depth of તત્ત્વજ્ઞાન (knowledge of what is real), or the depth of committed love. In ordinary situations, this reads as a call to stop living in scattered half-attention: either cultivate inner clarity (study, meditation, honest self-inquiry) or cultivate a relationship with presence and devotion. The verse is not telling everyone to renounce; it is asking everyone to be intentional.

If you want this verse to uplift you: Poetry delights, but real love must go beyond features. If you feel enchanted, translate it into care: listen well, keep promises, and honor consent. Admiration that becomes service is ennobling; admiration that becomes possession is painful. Use the verse to remember dignity - yours and the other's.

આવાસઃ ક્રિયતાં ગંગે પાપહારિણિ વારિણિ ।
સ્તનદ્વયે તરુણ્યા વા મનોહારિણિ હારિણિ ॥ 2.38 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
આવાસઃ - dwelling; residence
ક્રિયતાં - let it be made
ગંગે - in the ગંગા
પાપ - sin; impurity
હારિણિ - removing; stealing away
પાપહારિણિ - that which removes sin
વારિણિ - in water; in the waters
સ્તનદ્વયે - in the pair of breasts
તરુણ્યાઃ - of a young woman
વા - or
મનસ્ - mind
હારિણિ - stealing; captivating
મનોહારિણિ - stealing the mind; captivating

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
Let your dwelling be made either in the sin-removing waters of the river Ganga, or in the mind-stealing bosom of a young woman.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse plays with a deliberately provocative equivalence: two kinds of refuge. One is sacred and purifying, the other intimate and emotionally absorbing. In modern terms, we all seek "places" where the mind rests - in prayer, in nature, in art, or in a trusted relationship. The practical અનુસંધાન is to choose refuges that actually cleanse rather than agitate: affection that increases kindness and steadiness is closer to પાપહારિણિ (removing impurity), while obsession that makes us restless does the opposite.

From a broader perspective: Notice the role of attention. What you repeatedly contemplate becomes your inner landscape. So train attention not only on appearance but also on character - kindness, steadiness, truthfulness. This keeps romance from becoming fragile, because it is rooted in values, not only in sensation.

કિં ઇહ બહુભિરુક્તૈર્યુક્તિશૂન્યૈઃ પ્રલાપૈર્દ્વયમ્
ઇહ પુરુષાણાં સર્વદા સેવનીયમ્ ।
અભિનવમદલીલાલાલસં સુંદરીણાં
સ્તનભરપરિખિન્નં યૌવનં વા વનં વા ॥ 2.39 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
કિમ્ - what (use) is
ઇહ - here; in this world
બહુભિઃ - with many
ઉક્તૈઃ - words; sayings
યુક્તિ - reasoning; good sense
શૂન્યૈઃ - empty of; devoid of
યુક્તિશૂન્યૈઃ પ્રલાપૈઃ - pointless chatter devoid of reason
દ્વયમ્ - two things
પુરુષાણાં - for men; of people
સર્વદા - always
સેવનીયં - worthy of pursuit; to be embraced
અભિનવ - fresh; new
મદ - intoxication; passion
લીલા - play
લાલસં - eager; craving
સુંદરીણાં - of beautiful women
સ્તન - breast
બર - burden; weight
પરિખિન્નં - wearied; bent
યૌવનં - youth
વનં - forest (life of seclusion)
વા ... વા - either ... or

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
Why so much senseless talk? In this world, there are only two pursuits that people truly cling to: either the fresh, passionate youth of beautiful women, or the solitude of the forest.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
This is another "two-paths" verse: stop justifying and pick a direction. Some choose ભોગ (worldly enjoyment); some choose વન (simplicity, restraint, inner work). The problem is not which path you choose; the problem is drifting in પ્રલાપ (aimless chatter) and indecision while time slips away. In the way we live now, this can mean: either build a committed relationship and household life, or deliberately make space for solitude and study - but do not pretend to choose one while feeding the other in secret.

On a subtler level: A deeper use of શૃંગાર is refinement. When something is beautiful, pause and notice the mind soften. Then let that softness turn into generosity, patience, and gratitude. In this way, beauty becomes a doorway to a better self, not a doorway to restlessness.

સત્યં જના વચ્મિ ન પક્ષપાતાલ્
લોકેષુ સપ્તસ્વપિ તથ્યં એતત્ ।
નાન્યન્મનોહારિ નિતંબિનીભ્યો
દુઃખૈકહેતુર્ન ચ કશ્ચિદન્યઃ ॥ 2.40 ॥

છંદઃ (ઇંદ્રવજ્રા): This is in ઇંદ્રવજ્રા (ત્રિષ્ટુભ્ class) Chandas/Meter: 4 પાદાઃ, 11 અક્ષરાઃ per પાદ; લઘુ/ગુરુ pattern (per પાદ) is `GGLGGLLGLGG`.

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
સત્યં - truly
જનાઃ - people
વચ્મિ - I say
ન - not
પક્ષપાતાત્ - out of bias; partiality
લોકેષુ - in worlds
સપ્ત - seven
અપિ - even
તથ્યં - true
એતત્ - this
ન અન્યત્ - nothing else
મનોહારિ - mind-stealing; captivating
નિતંબિનીભ્યઃ - from women with shapely hips (lit. "hip-possessors")
દુઃખ - sorrow; pain
એક - single; only
હેતુઃ - cause
ન ચ - and not
કશ્ચિત્ અન્યઃ - any other

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
People, I say this truly and without bias: across all the seven worlds, there is no other single cause of sorrow than captivating women.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
Taken literally, the verse sounds like blame; read more carefully, it is really about રાગ (attachment) and how it manufactures દુઃખ (sorrow). Beauty is not a problem by itself - the problem is when the mind makes it "the one thing without which I cannot be happy". At home and at work, heartbreak, jealousy, and distraction often come less from a person and more from our own unexamined stories and expectations. ભર્તૃહરિ's hyperbole is a nudge toward વિવેક: enjoy શૃંગાર without surrendering inner freedom.

A gentle practice is: Enjoy beauty without losing balance. Keep the basics steady: sleep, work, friendships, and self-respect. If attraction is mutual, clarity and pace protect it; if it is not, restraint protects you. This is how the verse becomes practical wisdom instead of mere description.

કાંતેત્યુત્પલલોચનેતિ વિપુલશ્રોણીભરેત્યુન્નમત્પીનોત્તુંગ
પયોધરેતિ સમુખાંભોજેતિ સુભ્રૂરિતિ ।
દૃષ્ટ્વા માદ્યતિ મોદતેઽભિરમતે પ્રસ્તૌતિ વિદ્વાનપિ
પ્રત્યક્ષાશુચિભસ્ત્રિકાં સ્ત્રિયં અહો મોહસ્ય દુશ્ચેષ્ટિતમ્ ॥ 2.41 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
કાંતા - beloved
ઇતિ - thus (as a form of address)
ઉત્પલ - blue lotus
લોચન - eyes
ઉત્પલલોચન - lotus-eyed (address)
વિપુલ - broad; large
શ્રોણી - hips; waist
ભરઃ - load; heaviness
વિપુલશ્રોણીભરા - broad-hipped (address; verse: વિપુલશ્રોણીભરેતિ)
ઉન્નમત્ - raised; uplifted
પીન - full; firm
ઉત્તુંગ - lofty; high
પયોધરા - breasts (lit. "milk-holders")
ઉન્નમત્પીનોત્તુંગપયોધરા - with high, full, lofty breasts
સમુખ - well-faced; charming
અંભોજ - lotus
સમુખાંભોજ - lotus-like face (address; verse: સમુખાંભોજેતિ)
સુભ્રૂ - beautiful-browed
દૃષ્ટ્વા - seeing
માદ્યતિ - becomes intoxicated; loses sobriety
મોદતે - rejoices
અભિરમતે - delights (verse: મોદતેઽભિરમતે = મોદતે + અભિરમતે)
પ્રસ્તૌતિ - praises
વિદ્વાન્ - learned man; scholar
અપિ - even
પ્રત્યક્ષ - directly visible
અશુચિ - impure
બસ્ત્રિકા - bag; skin-bag
પ્રત્યક્ષાશુચિભસ્ત્રિકા - a plainly visible bag of impurities
સ્ત્રિયં - the woman
અહો - alas!
મોહ - delusion
દુશ્ચેષ્ટિતં - bad conduct; distorted action

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
Calling her "beloved", "lotus-eyed", "broad-hipped", "high and full-breasted", "lotus-faced", "beautiful-browed" - merely seeing her, even a scholar becomes intoxicated, rejoices, delights, and praises, though she is plainly a bag of impurities. Alas, what a mischief of delusion!

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
This verse is not a denial of beauty; it is a diagnosis of મોહ (delusion) - the mind's habit of projecting permanence, purity, and "ultimate value" onto what is visibly a changing body. આદિ શંકરાચાર્ય often points to the same mechanism as અધ્યાસ (superimposition): we overlay our fantasies onto what we see, then suffer when reality does not cooperate. These days, the effect is amplified by filters, curated images, and comparison-culture: the "look" becomes a story, and the story becomes obsession. The practical અનુસંધાન is to enjoy શૃંગાર with વિવેક - appreciate the form without letting the mind forget impermanence, boundaries, and the deeper qualities that sustain love.

સ્મૃતા ભવતિ તાપાય દૃષ્ટા ચોન્માદકારિણી ।
સ્પૃષ્ટા ભવતિ મોહાય સા નામ દયિતા કથમ્ ॥ 2.42 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
સ્મૃતા - remembered
ભવતિ - becomes
તાપ - heat; burning; torment
તાપાય - for torment
દૃષ્ટા - seen
ચ - and
ઉન્માદ - madness; frenzy
કારિણી - causing (f.)
ઉન્માદકારિણી - causing frenzy
સ્પૃષ્ટા - touched
મોહ - delusion; bewilderment
મોહાય - for delusion
સા - she
નામ - indeed; by name
દયિતા - beloved
કથં - how

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
Remembered she burns; seen she drives one into frenzy; touched she bewilders. How then is she called a "beloved"?

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse describes how obsession works: memory becomes તાપ (inner heat), sight becomes agitation, and touch becomes મોહ (bewilderment). When you look around today, the same pattern appears with a "crush" that hijacks attention: you replay messages, interpret every glance, and lose calm. The practical અનુસંધાન is not to suppress love, but to keep it integrated with life: do your duties, keep your friendships, sleep well, and do not let a single person become the only axis of meaning.

A helpful way to apply this is: Poetry delights, but real love must go beyond features. If you feel enchanted, translate it into care: listen well, keep promises, and honor consent. Admiration that becomes service is ennobling; admiration that becomes possession is painful. Use the verse to remember dignity - yours and the other's.

તાવદેવામૃતમયી યાવલ્લોચનગોચરા ।
ચક્ષુષ્પથાદતીતા તુ વિષાદપ્યતિરિચ્યતે ॥ 2.43 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
તાવત્ - so long; until then
એવ - only
અમૃતમયી - full of nectar; like nectar
યાવત્ - as long as
લોચન - eye
ગોચરા - within range; accessible
લોચનગોચરા - within the range of sight
ચક્ષુઃ - eye
પથઃ - path
અતીતા - gone beyond
ચક્ષુષ્પથાતીતા - gone beyond the path of the eyes (out of sight)
તુ - but
વિષ - poison
અપિ - even than
વિષાદ્ અપિ - even than poison
અતિરિચ્યતે - exceeds; becomes greater

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
She is nectar only as long as she remains within sight; once she goes beyond the eyes' reach, she becomes worse than poison (through the pain of longing).

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
This is a crisp description of attachment: presence feels sweet, absence feels toxic. The same object that delighted you becomes a source of agitation when it is out of reach. In daily interactions, this plays out in long-distance relationships, unanswered messages, and the anxiety of "not knowing". The practical અનુસંધાન is to build steadiness that does not depend entirely on proximity: cultivate trust, communicate clearly, and keep your mind anchored in work and inner practice rather than constant rumination.

To carry this wisely: Notice the role of attention. What you repeatedly contemplate becomes your inner landscape. So train attention not only on appearance but also on character - kindness, steadiness, truthfulness. This keeps romance from becoming fragile, because it is rooted in values, not only in sensation.

નામૃતં ન વિષં કિંચિદેતાં મુક્ત્વા નિતંબિનીમ્ ।
સૈવામૃતલતા રક્તા વિરક્તા વિષવલ્લરી ॥ 2.44 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
ન - not
અમૃતં - nectar
ન - not
વિષં - poison
કિંચિત્ - anything at all
એતાં - this
મુક્ત્વા - leaving aside; except
નિતંબિનીં - the hip-bearing woman; the beloved
સા - she
એવ - indeed
અમૃત-લતા - a creeper of nectar
રક્તા - attached; affectionate (also "red")
વિરક્તા - detached; indifferent
વિષ-વલ્લરી - a creeper of poison

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
Except for this beloved, nothing is really nectar or poison: when she is affectionate she is a vine of nectar, and when she turns indifferent she becomes a vine of poison.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse points to how relationship "weather" is experienced: affection tastes like અમૃત (nectar), coldness feels like વિષ (poison). In common experience, this can become a trap if we outsource our emotional stability to someone else's mood. A mature અનુસંધાન is to build two things at once: emotional self-reliance (so you do not collapse when someone is distant) and skillful communication (so distance is addressed, not hidden). Love becomes steadier when it is less about mood and more about mutual values and care.

A mature reading suggests: A deeper use of શૃંગાર is refinement. When something is beautiful, pause and notice the mind soften. Then let that softness turn into generosity, patience, and gratitude. In this way, beauty becomes a doorway to a better self, not a doorway to restlessness.

આવર્તઃ સંશયાનાં અવિનયભુવનં પટ્ટણં સાહસાનાં
દોષાણાં સન્નિધાનં કપટશતમયં ક્ષેત્રં અપ્રત્યયાનામ્ ।
સ્વર્ગદ્વારસ્ય વિઘ્નો નરકપુરમુખ સર્વમાયાકરંડં
સ્ત્રીયંત્રં કેન સૃષ્ટં વિષં અમૃતમયં પ્રાણિલોકસ્ય પાશઃ ॥ 2.45 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
આવર્તઃ - whirlpool; vortex
સંશયાનાં - of doubts; of indecision
અવિનય - lack of discipline; impropriety
ભુવનં - world; realm
પટ્ટણં - city
સાહસાનાં - of rash acts; ventures
દોષાણાં - of faults
સન્નિધાનં - storehouse; constant presence
કપટ - deceit
શતં - a hundred
મયં - full of; made of
ક્ષેત્રં - field
અપ્રત્યયાનાં - of distrust; of unreliability
સ્વર્ગ - heaven; higher state
દ્વારસ્ય - of the gate
વિઘ્નઃ - obstacle
નરક - hell; suffering
પુર - city
મુખં - mouth; entrance
સર્વ - all
માયા - illusion; the power of appearance
કરંડં - basket; container; hive-like store
સર્વમાયાકરંડં - a container of every illusion
સ્ત્રીયંત્રં - the "woman-device" (a metaphor for overwhelming fascination)
કેન - by whom
સૃષ્ટં - created
વિષં - poison
અમૃતમયં - appearing like nectar; made of nectar
પ્રાણિલોકસ્ય - of the world of living beings
પાશઃ - noose; snare

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
Who created this "woman-device" - a whirlpool of doubts, a realm of indiscipline, a city of rashness, an abode of faults, a field made of a hundred deceits, an obstacle at heaven's gate and the doorway to hell, a basket of every illusion - a poison that appears as nectar, a snare for living beings?

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
This is one of ભર્તૃહરિ's fiercest outbursts. If we read it as hatred of women, we miss the deeper target: uncontrolled fascination and the chaos it can create - doubt, rash action, secrecy, and loss of direction. The verse uses માયા (the power of appearance) deliberately: what seems like અમૃત (nectar) can behave like વિષ (poison) when pursued without વિવેક. In contemporary life, the same pattern appears in any seductive fixation - an affair that destroys trust, an addiction that ruins health, or a "too good to be true" promise that becomes a trap. The practical અનુસંધાન is to honor attraction with ethics and boundaries, so that love becomes nourishment rather than a snare.

If you want this verse to uplift you: A simple daily practice is to check intention: am I trying to connect, or am I trying to win? The verse reminds us that relationship is built by small choices - listening, truthfulness, and respect for boundaries. When those are steady, even strong emotions become beautiful instead of chaotic.

નો સત્યેન મૃગાંક એષ વદનીભૂતો ન ચેંદીવરદ્વંદ્વં
લોચનતાં ગત ન કનકૈરપ્યંગયષ્ટિઃ કૃતા ।
કિંત્વેવં કવિભિઃ પ્રતારિતમનાસ્તત્ત્વં વિજાનન્નપિ
ત્વઙ્માંસાસ્થિમયં વપુર્મૃગદૃશાં મંદો જનઃ સેવતે ॥ 2.46 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
નો સત્યેન - not truly
મૃગાંકઃ - the moon
એષઃ - this
વદની - face (as in "having a face")
ભૂતઃ - has become
ન ચ - nor
ઇંદીવર - blue lotus
દ્વંદ્વં - pair
લોચન - eye
તાં ગતં - has become
ન - not
કનકૈઃ અપિ - even with gold
અંગયષ્ટિઃ - the body; the figure
કૃતા - made
કિંતુ - but
એવં - thus
કવિભિઃ - by poets
પ્રતારિત - deceived; tricked
મનાઃ - mind
તત્ત્વં - reality
વિજાનન્ અપિ - even knowing
ત્વક્ - skin
માંસ - flesh
અસ્થિ - bone
મયં - made of
વપુઃ - body
મૃગદૃશાં - of deer-eyed women
મંદઃ - dull; undiscerning
જનઃ - person
સેવતે - serves; clings to; worships

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
Truly, the moon has not become her face; nor have blue lotuses become her eyes; nor is her body made of gold. Yet the dull person, though knowing reality, still clings to the deer-eyed woman's body made of skin, flesh, and bone - his mind deceived by poets.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse exposes poetic exaggeration as a mirror for our own self-deception. We know, at some level, that the body is ત્વક્-માંસ-અસ્થિ (skin-flesh-bone), yet we let language and imagery turn it into "moon", "lotus", and "gold". In everyday life, this is the same mechanism behind glamour and branding: a curated surface becomes "truth" in the mind. અદ્વૈત texts call this kind of mis-seeing અધ્યાસ (superimposition): we project and then get bound by what we projected. The practical અનુસંધાન is to enjoy poetry and beauty while staying anchored in reality - and to value character, kindness, and steadiness more than metaphor.

લીલાવતીનાં સહજા વિલાસાસ્ત
એવ મૂઢસ્ય હૃદિ સ્ફુરંતિ ।
રાગો નલિન્યા હિ નિસર્ગસિદ્ધસ્તત્ર
ભ્રમ્ત્યેવ વૃથા ષડ્અંઘ્રિઃ ॥ 2.47 ॥

છંદઃ (માત્રા-ચંદસ્): This is in a માત્રા-based Chandas/Meter (not a fixed અક્ષર-count વૃત્ત): in this verse, the written segments carry approximately 20 + 16 + 22 + 14 માત્રાઃ (total 72); treat લઘુ=1 માત્રા and ગુરુ=2 માત્રાઃ, and keep the natural pauses at the segment ends marked by `।`/`॥` (do not confuse દંડ with internal યતિ).

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
લીલાવતીનાં - of playful women
સહજાઃ - natural; inborn
વિલાસાઃ - graces; coquetries; playful gestures
ત એવ - those alone
મૂઢસ્ય - of the fool
હૃદિ - in the heart
સ્ફુરંતિ - flash forth; appear vividly
રાગઃ - redness; passion; attachment
નલિન્યાઃ - of the lotus
હિ - indeed
નિસર્ગ - nature
સિદ્ધઃ - established; inherent
નિસર્ગસિદ્ધઃ - naturally inherent
તત્ર - there; in that
ભ્રમ્ત્યા - by delusion
ઇવ - as if
વૃથા - in vain; futilely
ષડ્અંઘ્રિઃ - the bee (lit. "six-footed"; the verse uses for a join; read as ષડંઘ્રિઃ)

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
In a fool's heart, the inborn graces of playful women alone keep flashing. The lotus's redness is natural; still the six-footed bee, deluded, buzzes about it in vain.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The analogy is subtle: the lotus does not become red because of the bee; the redness is નિસર્ગસિદ્ધ (inherent). Likewise, a charming person's gestures may be natural, not targeted - yet the infatuated mind reads them as special signals. In day-to-day living, this is the common misreading of friendliness as intimacy, or charisma as a private invitation. The practical અનુસંધાન is to check projections: observe behavior over time, seek clarity through respectful communication, and do not let રાગ (attachment) write stories faster than reality.

સંમોહયંતિ મદયંતિ વિડંબયંતિ
નિર્ભર્ત્સ્યંતિ રમયંતિ વિષાદયંતિ ।
એતાઃ પ્રવિશ્ય સદયં હૃદયં નરાણાં
કિં નામ વામનયના ન સમાચરંતિ ॥ 2.47.1 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
સંમોહયંતિ - they delude; they bewilder
મદયંતિ - they intoxicate
વિડંબયંતિ - they mock; they deceive
નિર્ભર્ત્સ્યંતિ - they scold; they rebuke
રમયંતિ - they delight; they please
વિષાદયંતિ - they sadden; they cause despondency
એતાઃ - these (women)
પ્રવિશ્ય - entering
સદયં - tender; compassionate; soft
હૃદયં - heart
નરાણાં - of men; of people
કિં નામ - what indeed
વામ - beautiful; pleasing
નયનાઃ - eyes (f. pl.)
વામનયનાઃ - beautiful-eyed women
ન - not
સમાચરંતિ - do; perform

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
They bewilder, intoxicate, deceive, scold, delight, and sadden - once these beautiful-eyed women enter a man's tender heart, what is it that they do not do?

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse captures the emotional range that intimate relationships can evoke: joy and hurt can alternate, sometimes within the same day. The poet is not listing "faults" so much as naming the power of closeness over the psyche. In lived experience, the lesson is not cynicism but maturity: if you let someone into the હૃદય (heart), you must also develop communication, patience, and ક્ષમા (forbearance), otherwise normal fluctuations feel like chaos. Love becomes stable not by eliminating emotion, but by learning to hold it wisely.

યદેતત્પૂર્ણેંદુદ્યુતિહરં ઉદારાકૃતિ પરં
મુખાબ્જં તન્વંગ્યાઃ કિલ વસતિ યત્રાધરમધુ ।
ઇદં તત્કિં પાકદ્રુમફલં ઇદાનીં અતિરસવ્યતીતેઽસ્મિન્
કાલે વિષં ઇવ ભવિષ્ય્ત્યસુખદમ્ ॥ 2.48 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
યત્ - which
એતત્ - this
પૂર્ણ - full
ઇંદુ - moon
દ્યુતિ - radiance
હરં - stealing; taking away
પૂર્ણેંદુદ્યુતિહરં - stealing the radiance of the full moon
ઉદાર - expansive; noble
આકૃતિ - form; shape
પરં - excellent
મુખ - face
અબ્જં - lotus
મુખાબ્જં - lotus-face
તન્વી - slender woman
અંગી - the woman with limbs (a poetic term for the beloved)
તન્વંગી - the slender beloved
તન્વંગ્યાઃ - of the slender beloved
કિલ - indeed
વસતિ - dwells
યત્ર - where
અધર - lip
મધુ - honey
અધરમધુ - the honey of the lips
ઇદં - this
તત્ - that
કિમ્ - what
પાક - ripe; cooked
દ્રુમ - tree
ફલં - fruit
પાકદ્રુમફલં - a ripe fruit of a tree
ઇદાનીં - now
અતિરસ - excessive sweetness; intense flavor
વ્યતીતે - when passed; after it has gone
અસ્મિન્ - in this (verse: વ્યતીતેઽસ્મિન્ = વ્યતીતે + અસ્મિન્)
કાલે - in time
વિષં ઇવ - like poison
ભવિષ્યતિ - will become
અસુખ-દં - causing unhappiness

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
This splendid lotus-face of the slender beloved, stealing the shine of the full moon, where the honey of her lips resides - is it not a ripe fruit? Yet when its excessive sweetness has passed with time, it will turn, as it were, into poison and bring pain.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse is a meditation on impermanence inside pleasure. What is sweet now can become bitter later - not because beauty is "wrong", but because time changes everything, and clinging turns change into suffering. In our daily routines, the same is true of novelty: the first phase of attraction is intense, but if the relationship is built only on અતિરસ (over-sweetness), the later phases can feel like poison when reality arrives. The practical અનુસંધાન is to deepen love beyond the first sweetness: build trust, shared values, and a capacity to face change together.

ઉન્મીલત્ત્રિવલીતરંગનિલયા પ્રોત્તુંગપીનસ્તનદ્વંદ્વેનોદ્ગત
ચક્રવાકયુગલા વક્ત્રાંબુજોદ્ભાસિની ।
કાંતાકારધરા નદીયં અભિતઃ ક્રૂરાત્ર નાપેક્ષતે
સંસારાર્ણવમજ્જનં યદિ તદા દૂરેણ સંત્યજ્યતામ્ ॥ 2.49 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
ઉન્મીલત્ - opening; blossoming
ત્રિવલી - the three folds/lines on the belly
તરંગ - wave
નિલયા - abode; bed
ઉન્મીલત્ત્રિવલીતરંગનિલયા - whose bed is waves of blossoming ત્રિવલી (poetic image)
પ્રોત્તુંગ - very lofty; very prominent
પીન - full; firm
સ્તન - breast
દ્વંદ્વં - pair
સ્તનદ્વંદ્વં - pair of breasts
ઉદ્ગત - arisen; sprung forth
ચક્રવાક - the ચક્રવાક bird (a poetic emblem of lovers)
યુગલં - pair
ચક્રવાકયુગલા - having a pair of ચક્રવાકs (poetic image)
વક્ત્ર - face
અંબુજ - lotus
ઉદ્ભાસિની - shining
વક્ત્રાંબુજોદ્ભાસિની - shining with a lotus-face
કાંતા - beloved
આકાર - form; shape
ધરા - bearing
નદી - river
અયમ્ - this
કાંતાકારધરા નદી - this river bearing the form of a beloved
અભિતઃ - on all sides; thoroughly
ક્રૂરા - cruel
અત્ર - here (verse: ક્રૂરાત્ર = ક્રૂરા + અત્ર)
ન અપેક્ષતે - does not care; does not show regard
સંસાર - worldly life
અર્ણવ - ocean
મજ્જનમ્ - drowning
યદિ - if
તદા - then
દૂરેણ - from far away
સંત્યજ્યતાં - should be abandoned

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
This river shaped like a beloved - with waves like the soft lines of her waist, with a pair of love-birds rising from lofty, full breasts, shining with a lotus-like face - is cruel and shows no regard. If you wish to avoid drowning in the ocean of worldly life, abandon it from far away.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The poet turns attraction into a warning-sign: what looks enchanting can also be a current that pulls you under. The imagery is not anti-beauty; it is anti-blindness. In today's relationships, a relationship can become a "river" that drains you if it is built on compulsion, secrecy, or constant turmoil. The practical અનુસંધાન is early discernment: if you see patterns that reliably lead to loss of integrity, peace, or purpose, step back while you still can - because later the pull of રાગ (attachment) makes quitting far harder.

જલ્પંતિ સાર્ધં અન્યેન પશ્યંત્યન્યં સવિભ્રમાઃ ।
હૃદ્ગતં ચિંતયંત્યન્યં પ્રિયઃ કો નામ યોષિતામ્ ॥ 2.50 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
જલ્પંતિ - they chatter; they speak
સાર્ધં - with
અન્યેન - with one (person)
પશ્યંતિ - they look at
અન્યં - another (person)
સવિભ્રમાઃ - with coquetry; with playful charm
હૃદ્-ગતં - gone into the heart; within the heart
ચિંતયંતિ - they think of
અન્યં - another (person)
પ્રિયઃ - dear; beloved
કઃ - who
નામ - indeed
યોષિતાં - of women

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
They chat with one, glance at another with playful charm, and think of yet another in the heart - who, indeed, is the beloved of women?

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
Read as a social observation, the verse points to fickleness and divided attention - a pattern not limited to any gender. When desire is shallow, attention jumps: conversation here, fantasy there. In real-world settings, this is intensified by endless options and constant messaging, where people keep one foot in and one foot out. The practical અનુસંધાન is to look for એકચિત્તતા (one-mindedness): if you want trust and stability, choose relationships where attention, intention, and commitment align.

મધુ તિષ્ઠતિ વાચિ યોષિતાં હૃદિ હાલાહલં એવ કેવલમ્ ।
અતએવ નિપીયતેઽધરો હૃદયં મુષ્ટિભિરેવ તાડ્યતે ॥ 2.51 ॥

છંદઃ (માત્રા-ચંદસ્): This is in a માત્રા-based Chandas/Meter (not a fixed અક્ષર-count વૃત્ત): in this verse, the written segments carry approximately 32 + 30 માત્રાઃ (total 62); treat લઘુ=1 માત્રા and ગુરુ=2 માત્રાઃ, and keep the natural pauses at the segment ends marked by `।`/`॥` (do not confuse દંડ with internal યતિ).

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
મધુ - honey
તિષ્ઠતિ - stays; abides
વાચિ - in speech; on the tongue
યોષિતાં - of women
હૃદિ - in the heart
હાલાહલં - deadly poison (હાલાહલ, from the ocean-churning story)
એવ - indeed; only
કેવલં - merely; solely
અતએવ - therefore (the verse uses for a join; read as અતએવ)
નિપીયતે - is drunk; is sipped (poetically: is kissed)
અધરઃ - lip (verse: નિપીયતેઽધરો = નિપીયતે + અધરઃ)
હૃદયં - heart
મુષ્ટિભિઃ - with fists
તાડ્યતે - is struck; is beaten

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
Honey sits on women's tongues, but only poison in their hearts; therefore the lip is "drunk" (kissed), while the heart is, as it were, struck with fists.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse is deliberately harsh to make a psychological point: sweetness in words is not proof of sweetness in intention. The image of હાલાહલ (the deadly poison that emerged during the churning of the ocean) is a warning against being intoxicated by flattery or surface charm. In lived experience, the same caution applies in romance and in business: love-bombing, empty promises, and performative kindness can hide manipulation. The practical અનુસંધાન is to measure people by consistency - speech aligned with action - and to keep boundaries so that attraction does not make you ignore red flags.

To carry this wisely: Let beauty become reverence rather than grasping. આદિ શંકરાચાર્ય opens સૌંદર્ય લહરી with શિવઃ શક્ત્યા યુક્તો યદિ ભવતિ શક્તઃ પ્રભવિતુમ્, hinting that beauty and power are inseparable from awareness. Seen that way, admiration can refine the heart. When respect is present, beauty uplifts; when entitlement is present, beauty binds.

અપસર સખે દૂરાદસ્માત્કટાક્ષવિષાનલાત્
પ્રકૃતિવિષમાદ્યોષિત્સર્પાદ્વિલાસફણાભૃતઃ ।
ઇતરફણિના દષ્ટઃ શક્યશ્ચિકિત્સિતું ઔષધૈશ્ચતુર્
વનિતાભોગિગ્રસ્તં હિ મંત્રિણઃ ॥ 2.52 ॥

છંદઃ (માત્રા-ચંદસ્): This is in a માત્રા-based Chandas/Meter (not a fixed અક્ષર-count વૃત્ત): in this verse, the written segments carry approximately 25 + 25 + 30 + 18 માત્રાઃ (total 98); treat લઘુ=1 માત્રા and ગુરુ=2 માત્રાઃ, and keep the natural pauses at the segment ends marked by `।`/`॥` (do not confuse દંડ with internal યતિ).

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
અપસર - move away; withdraw
સખે - O friend
દૂરાત્ - from far; far away
અસ્માત્ - from this
કટાક્ષ - side-glance
વિષ - poison
અનલ - fire
કટાક્ષવિષાનલ - the poison-fire of a sidelong glance
પ્રકૃતિ - nature
વિષમ - venomous; harmful
યોષિત્ - woman
સર્પઃ - snake
યોષિત્સર્પઃ - woman-snake (metaphor for dangerous fascination)
વિલાસ - coquettish play; graceful charm
ફણા - hood (of a snake)
ભૃતઃ - bearing; wearing
વિલાસફણાભૃતઃ - bearing the hood of charm
ઇતર - other
ફણી - snake (lit. "hooded one"; verse: ફણિના)
દષ્ટઃ - bitten
શક્યઃ - possible
ચિકિત્સિતું - to treat; to cure
ઔષધૈઃ - with medicines
ચતુર્ - clever; skilled
વનિતા - woman
ભોગી - snake (lit. "coiled one")
ગ્રસ્તં - seized; swallowed; overpowered
હિ - indeed
મંત્રિણઃ - for the expert/healer; even for the skilled one

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
Move away, my friend, far from this poison-fire of a sidelong glance, from the naturally venomous woman-snake whose hood is coquettish charm. A bite from another snake can be treated with medicines, but one seized by the woman-snake cannot be cured even by the skilled.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
This is hyperbolic, but the practical warning is clear: know your vulnerabilities and keep distance from what predictably burns you. Some temptations are easier to treat after the fact; others are easier only to avoid at the beginning. In ordinary situations, this can mean setting boundaries with someone who repeatedly pulls you into drama, or keeping space from environments that trigger addiction. The point is not to demonize people; it is to take responsibility for your own mind and not walk willingly into a "poison-fire" you already recognize.

વિસ્તારિતં મકરકેતનધીવરેણ
સ્ત્રીસંજ્ઞિતં બડિશં અત્ર ભવાંબુરાશૌ ।
યેનાચિરાત્તદ્અધરામિષલોલમર્ત્ય
મત્સ્યાન્વિકૃષ્ય વિપચત્યનુરાગવહ્નૌ ॥ 2.53 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
વિસ્તારિતં - spread out; cast
મકરકેતન - Cupid (મકર-bannered)
ધીવરઃ - fisherman
ધીવરેણ - by the fisherman
સ્ત્રી - woman
સંજ્ઞિતં - named; called
બડિશં - fishhook
અત્ર - here
ભવ - becoming; worldly existence
અંબુ-રાશિઃ - ocean; mass of water
ભવાંબુરાશૌ - in the ocean of worldly existence
યેન - by which
અચિરાત્ - very soon
તદ્અધર - her lip (the verse uses for a join; read as તદધર)
આમિષં - bait (lit. "meat")
લોલ - greedy; eager
મર્ત્યઃ - mortal
મત્સ્યાન્ - fish (pl.)
વિકૃષ્ય - pulling out; drawing forth
વિપચતિ - cooks
અનુરાગ - passion; attachment
વહ્નિઃ - fire
અનુરાગવહ્નૌ - in the fire of passion

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
Cupid, the fisherman, casts into the ocean of worldly life a hook called "woman"; with it he soon drags out the mortal fish, greedy for the bait of her lips, and cooks him in the fire of passion.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The metaphor is sharp: desire is a hook, and a small "bait" can pull a person out of balance. In practical terms, the same mechanics exist in many forms: ads designed to trigger craving, apps designed to keep you scrolling, or flirtation that pulls you into choices you later regret. The practical અનુસંધાન is to notice the bait early - the thought that says "just one more" - and to regain agency before the hook sets. Attraction can be joyful, but when it becomes અનુરાગ (binding attachment), it starts cooking peace itself.

કામિનીકાયકાંતારે કુચપર્વતદુર્ગમે ।
મા સંચર મનઃ પાંથ તત્રાસ્તે સ્મરતસ્કરઃ ॥ 2.54 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
કામિની - amorous woman; beloved
કાય - body
કાંતાર - wilderness; forest
કામિનીકાયકાંતારે - in the wilderness of a woman's body (metaphor)
કુચ - breast
પર્વત - mountain
દુર્ગમે - difficult to traverse
કુચપર્વતદુર્ગમે - difficult because of the mountains of breasts (metaphor)
મા - do not
સંચર - wander; roam
મનઃ - O mind
પાંથ - traveler
તત્ર - there
આસ્તે - dwells
સ્મર - Cupid; desire
તસ્કરઃ - thief; robber

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
O mind, traveler - do not wander in the wilderness of a woman's body, hard to cross with its "mountains" of breasts; for there the thief called desire lies in wait.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse speaks to the mind as a restless traveler: the real danger is not the object, but the inner thief - સ્મર (desire) - that steals attention, energy, and clarity. In the way we live now, this can be seen in compulsive fantasizing that drains productivity and peace. The practical અનુસંધાન is simple: do not feed thoughts that you already know will spiral. Redirect early, keep healthy routines, and remember that self-control is not repression; it is choosing where the mind should live.

From a broader perspective: Separation teaches that the root of pain is clinging, not love itself. When you broaden your identity beyond one bond, you suffer less and you love better. Keep friendships, work, and inner practices alive. This does not reduce love; it stabilizes it.

વ્યાડીર્ઘેણ ચલેન વક્ત્રગતિના તેજસ્વિના ભોગિના
નીલાબ્જદ્યુતિનાહિના પરં અહં દૃષ્ટો ન તચ્ચક્ષુષા ।
દૃષ્ટે સંતિ ચિકિત્સકા દિશિ દિશિ પ્રાયેણ ધનાર્થિનો
મુગ્ધાક્ષક્ષણવીક્ષિતસ્ય ન હિ મે વૈદ્યો ન ચાપ્યૌષધમ્ ॥ 2.55 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
વ્યાડ - snake
ઈર્ઘ - long
વ્યાડીર્ઘ - snake-long; very long
વ્યાડીર્ઘેણ - by the snake-long one (verse: વ્યાડીર્ઘેણ)
ચલેન - moving; restless
વક્ત્ર - face; head
ગતિ - movement
વક્ત્રગતિના - by the head-movement
તેજસ્વિના - radiant; shining
ભોગિના - by the serpent (lit. "coiled one")
નીલ - blue
અબ્જ - lotus
દ્યુતિ - luster
નીલાબ્જદ્યુતિના - with the luster of a blue lotus
અહિના - by the snake
પરં - indeed
અહં - I
દૃષ્ટઃ - seen (verse: દૃષ્ટો = દૃષ્ટઃ)
ન - not
તત્-ચક્ષુષા - by those eyes
દૃષ્ટે - when seen/affected; when the case happens
સંતિ - there are
ચિકિત્સકાઃ - physicians
દિશિ દિશિ - in every direction; everywhere
પ્રાયેણ - generally
ધનાર્થિનાઃ - wealth-seeking; fee-seeking (verse: ધનાર્થિનો = ધનાર્થિનાઃ)
મુગ્ધ - innocent; simple
અક્ષ - eye
મુગ્ધાક્ષ - innocent-eyed
ક્ષણ - moment
વીક્ષિતં - a look; glance
મુગ્ધાક્ષક્ષણવીક્ષિતસ્ય - of the momentary glance of the innocent-eyed (girl)
ન હિ - indeed not
મે - for me
વૈદ્યઃ - physician
ન ચ અપિ - nor also
ઔષધં - medicine

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
I have never been looked at by a radiant serpent - long, restless in its head-movement, gleaming like a blue lotus. And even if I were, physicians are found everywhere, generally seeking fees; but for the momentary glance of an innocent-eyed girl, I have neither doctor nor medicine.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse says a romantic wound can feel more incurable than a physical one. For bodily pain, we have systems - doctors, medicines, protocols. For the mind's agitation caused by a single glance, the cure is slower: time, self-restraint, and re-centering the mind. At home and at work, this is why "closure" is not a quick fix; emotional attachment is a habit-pattern. The practical અનુસંધાન is to treat lovesickness like any other mental loop: reduce triggers, avoid rehearsing the fantasy, and replace it with meaningful work, friendships, and inner practice.

ઇહ હિ મધુરગીતં નૃત્યં એતદ્રસોઽયં
સ્ફુરતિ પરિમલોઽસૌ સ્પર્શ એષ સ્તનાનામ્ ।
ઇતિ હતપરમાર્થૈરિંદ્રિયૈર્ભ્રામ્યમાણઃ
સ્વહિતકરણધૂર્તૈઃ પંચભિર્વંચિતોઽસ્મિ ॥ 2.56 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
ઇહ - here; in this (world)
હિ - indeed
મધુર - sweet
ગીતં - song
નૃત્યં - dance
રસઃ - aesthetic flavor; pleasure
અયમ્ - this
રસોઽયં - this રસ (verse: રસોઽયં = રસઃ + અયમ્)
સ્ફુરતિ - shines forth; appears vividly
પરિમલઃ - fragrance
અસૌ - that
પરિમલોઽસૌ - that fragrance (verse: પરિમલોઽસૌ = પરિમલઃ + અસૌ)
સ્પર્શઃ - touch
એષઃ - this
સ્તનાનાં - of breasts
ઇતિ - thus
હત - destroyed; ruined
પરમાર્થ - highest purpose; true goal
પરમાર્થૈઃ - with true goals (instrumental pl.)
ઇંદ્રિયૈઃ - by the senses
ભ્રામ્યમાણઃ - wandering; being deluded
સ્વ-હિત - one's own welfare
કરણ - doing; making
ધૂર્તૈઃ - by rogues; tricksters
સ્વહિતકરણધૂર્તૈઃ - by rogues pretending to work for my good
પંચભિઃ - by the five
વંચિતઃ - cheated
અસ્મિ - I am
વંચિતોઽસ્મિ - I am cheated (verse: વંચિતોઽસ્મિ = વંચિતઃ + અસ્મિ)

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
Here are sweet song and dance, all this delight; here is that fragrance, this touch of breasts - and so, my senses, having ruined my higher purpose, make me wander; I have been cheated by the five rogues that pretend to act for my welfare.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
This is an honest confession about the senses (ઇંદ્રિય): they promise happiness, but often steal time and clarity. The poet calls them ધૂર્તs (rogues) because they pretend to be "for my good" while pulling the mind outward. These days, this is not only about romance; it is also about endless entertainment and distraction that feels sweet in the moment and empty afterward. The practical અનુસંધાન is ઇંદ્રિય-નિગ્રહ (training the senses): consciously choose what you consume, set limits, and keep a higher aim in view so that pleasure supports life rather than replacing it.

ન ગમ્યો મંત્રાણાં ન ચ ભવતિ ભૈષજ્યવિષયો
ન ચાપિ પ્રધ્વંસં વ્રજતિ વિવિધૈઃ શાંતિકશતૈઃ ।
ભ્રમાવેશાદંગે કં અપિ વિદધદ્ભંગં અસકૃત્
સ્મરાપસ્મારોઽયં ભ્રમયતિ દૃશં ઘૂર્ણયતિ ચ ॥ 2.57 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
ન - not
ગમ્યઃ - reachable; curable; amenable
મંત્રાણાં - by mantras
ન ચ - nor
ભવતિ - becomes
ભૈષજ્ય - medicine
વિષયઃ - object; domain
ભૈષજ્યવિષયઃ - a case for medicine
ન ચ અપિ - nor even
પ્રધ્વંસં - destruction; ending
વ્રજતિ - goes
વિવિધ - various
શાંતિક - pacifying rite
શતૈઃ - by hundreds
ભ્રમા - delusion
આવેશાત્ - by possession/entry
અંગે - in the body
કં અપિ - someone; something
વિદધત્ - producing; causing
ભંગં - disturbance; break
અસકૃત્ - repeatedly
સ્મર - Cupid; desire
અપસ્મારઃ - epilepsy (used here as a metaphor)
અયમ્ - this
સ્મરાપસ્મારોઽયં - this Cupid-epilepsy (verse: સ્મરાપસ્મારોઽયં = સ્મરાપસ્મારઃ + અયમ્)
ભ્રમયતિ - makes wander; makes reel
દૃશં - the sight; the eyes
ઘૂર્ણયતિ - makes whirl; makes spin
ચ - and

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
It cannot be cured by mantras, it is not a case for medicine, and it does not go away even with hundreds of pacifying rites. Entering the body like delusion and repeatedly causing disturbance, this "Cupid-epilepsy" makes the eyes reel and whirl.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
ભર્તૃહરિ uses અપસ્માર (epilepsy) as a metaphor for lovesickness: the mind loses steadiness, and perception itself "spins". When you look around today, we sometimes try to treat emotional obsession with quick fixes - advice, rituals, distractions - but the deeper cure is inner work: reducing triggers, cultivating calm routines, and rebuilding self-respect and purpose. The practical અનુસંધાન is to recognize when desire has become a disturbance-pattern, and to respond with disciplined care rather than drama.

જાત્ય્અંધાય ચ દુર્મુખાય ચ જરાજીર્ણા ખિલાંગાય ચ
ગ્રામીણાય ચ દુષ્કુલાય ચ ગલત્કુષ્ઠાભિભૂતાય ચ ।
યચ્છંતીષુ મનોહરં નિજવપુલક્ષ્મીલવશ્રદ્ધયા
પણ્યસ્ત્રીષુ વિવેકકલ્પલતિકાશસ્ત્રીષુ રાજ્યેત કઃ ॥ 2.58 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
જાત્ય્અંધઃ - blind from birth (the verse uses for a join; read as જાત્યંધઃ)
જાત્ય્અંધાય - to one blind from birth
ચ - and
દુર્મુખઃ - ugly-faced
દુર્મુખાય - to an ugly-faced one
જરા - old age
જીર્ણઃ - worn out
જરાજીર્ણાય - to one worn out by age
ખિલાંગઃ - crippled; deformed
ખિલાંગાય - to a crippled one
ગ્રામીણઃ - rustic; uncultured
ગ્રામીણાય - to a rustic one
દુષ્કુલઃ - of bad/low family
દુષ્કુલાય - to one of low family
ગલત્ - falling; oozing
કુષ્ઠ - leprosy
અભિભૂતઃ - afflicted; overcome
ગલત્કુષ્ઠાભિભૂતાય - to one afflicted by leprosy
યચ્છંતીષુ - when (they are) giving
મનોહરં - charming; attractive
નિજ - their own
વપુઃ - body
લક્ષ્મી - beauty; splendor
લવ - a small portion
શ્રદ્ધયા - with confidence; with faith
નિજવપુલક્ષ્મીલવશ્રદ્ધયા - trusting even a little in their body's beauty
પણ્ય - for sale
સ્ત્રીષુ - among women
પણ્યસ્ત્રીષુ - among women for sale (courtesans)
વિવેક - discrimination; discernment
કલ્પલતિકા - wish-fulfilling creeper; here: a creeper-like metaphor
શસ્ત્રં - weapon; sword
શસ્ત્રીષુ - among those who are like weapons
વિવેકકલ્પલતિકાશસ્ત્રીષુ - among women who act like a weapon against the creeper of discernment
રાજ્યેત - would rule; would remain sovereign
કઃ - who

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
When courtesans, trusting even a little in their bodily beauty, offer charms even to the born-blind, the ugly, the age-worn, the crippled, the rustic, the low-born, and the leprous - who could remain sovereign (in self-control) before such women, like weapons that cut down discernment?

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse is really about the market-power of desire and how it can erase વિવેક (discernment). When attraction becomes transactional, it can become indifferent to dignity on both sides: the buyer is driven by craving, the seller by profit, and both are reduced. In daily interactions, the same dynamic exists anywhere desire is monetized - not only in sexuality, but in any industry that profits from addiction. The practical અનુસંધાન is to protect વિવેક: notice manipulation, avoid feeding compulsions, and choose relationships that honor personhood rather than treat people as objects.

વેશ્યાસૌ મદનજ્વાલા
રૂપેઽંધનવિવર્ધિતા ।
કામિભિર્યત્ર હૂયંતે
યૌવનાનિ ધનાનિ ચ ॥ 2.59 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
વેશ્યા - courtesan; prostitute
અસૌ - this
મદન - Cupid; desire
જ્વાલા - flame
મદનજ્વાલા - a flame of desire
રૂપ - beauty; form
ઇંધનં - fuel
રૂપેઽંધન - fuel of beauty (verse: રૂપેઽંધન = રૂપે + ઇંધન)
વિવર્ધિતા - increased; fanned
કામિભિઃ - by lovers; by the desirous
યત્ર - where
હૂયંતે - are offered into fire; are sacrificed
યૌવનાનિ - youth (pl.)
ધનાનિ - wealth (pl.)
ચ - and

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
This courtesan is a flame of desire, fanned by the fuel of beauty; into her fire, lovers pour their youth and wealth.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse is a moral metaphor: when pleasure becomes a paid addiction, it can burn both યૌવન (youth) and ધન (wealth). In common experience, "flames" like this are not only courtesans; they can be any habit that consumes time, money, and health while promising relief. The practical અનુસંધાન is to track what your pleasures cost you over months and years, not over minutes - and to redirect resources toward what builds you rather than burns you.

કશ્ચુંબતિ કુલપુરુષો વેશ્યાધરપલ્લવં મનોજ્ઞં અપિ ।
ચારભટચોરચેટકનટવિટનિષ્ઠીવનશરાવમ્ ॥ 2.60 ॥

છંદઃ (માત્રા-ચંદસ્): This is in a માત્રા-based Chandas/Meter (not a fixed અક્ષર-count વૃત્ત): in this verse, the written segments carry approximately 31 + 27 માત્રાઃ (total 58); treat લઘુ=1 માત્રા and ગુરુ=2 માત્રાઃ, and keep the natural pauses at the segment ends marked by `।`/`॥` (do not confuse દંડ with internal યતિ).

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
કઃ - who
ચુંબતિ - kisses
કુલ - noble family; respectable lineage
પુરુષઃ - man; person
કુલપુરુષઃ - a respectable person
વેશ્યા - courtesan
અધર - lip
પલ્લવં - bud; tender shoot
વેશ્યાધરપલ્લવં - the bud-like lip of a courtesan
મનોજ્ઞં - charming
અપિ - even
ચાર - spy
ભ્હટ - soldier
ચોર - thief
ચેટક - servant
નટ - actor; performer
વિટ - rake; parasite
નિષ્ઠીવનં - spittle
શરાવં - bowl; dish
નિષ્ઠીવનશરાવં - a bowl of spittle (metaphor for promiscuity)

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
What respectable person would kiss even the charming, bud-like lip of a courtesan - a "spittle-bowl" for spies, soldiers, thieves, servants, actors, and rakes?

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse is intentionally shocking: it tries to break romantic glamour by forcing a thought of hygiene, promiscuity, and self-respect. In contemporary life, the underlying point can be read as a warning about casual intimacy without care: it carries health risks and also emotional consequences. The practical અનુસંધાન is to bring dignity and responsibility into desire: choose relationships where trust, exclusivity (if promised), and mutual respect exist - and do not let momentary craving override long-term wellbeing.

ધન્યાસ્ત એવ ધવલાયતલોચનાનાં
તારુણ્યદર્પઘનપીનપયોધરાણામ્ ।
ક્ષામોદરોપરિ લસત્ત્રિવલીલતાનાં
દૃષ્ટ્વાકૃતિં વિકૃતિં એતિ મનો ન યેષામ્ ॥ 2.61 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
ધન્યાઃ - blessed; fortunate
તઃ - those (verse: ધન્યાસ્ત = ધન્યાઃ + તઃ)
એવ - indeed
ધવલ - bright; white
આયત - long; wide
લોચનાનાં - of eyes
ધવલાયતલોચનાનાં - of women with bright, wide eyes
તારુણ્ય - youth
દર્પ - pride; boldness
ગન - abundance; mass
પીન - full; firm
પયોધરાણાં - of breasts
તારુણ્યદર્પઘનપીનપયોધરાણાં - of women with full, firm breasts (swollen with youthful pride)
ક્ષામ - slender; thin
ઉદર - belly
ઉપરિ - upon
લસત્ - shining; sporting
ત્રિવલી - the three folds/lines (on the belly)
લતા - creeper; vine
ત્રિવલીલતાનાં - of vine-like triple folds
ક્ષામોદરોપરિ - upon a slender belly
ક્ષામોદરોપરિ લસત્ત્રિવલીલતાનાં - of women whose slender bellies bear shining, vine-like triple folds
દૃષ્ટ્વા - having seen
આકૃતિં - form; shape
વિકૃતિં - distortion; change; agitation
એતિ - goes to; becomes
મનઃ - mind
ન - not
યેષાં - of whom

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
Blessed indeed are those whose minds do not become distorted even after seeing the captivating forms of such women - bright-eyed, full with youthful pride, and slender-waisted with the triple folds on the belly shining like vines.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse praises an inner stability that is rare: the ability to see beauty without being pushed into compulsion. In everyday life, this is not only about romance - it is the same skill we need with anything that can hijack attention (social media, luxury, status, flattery). The practical અનુસંધાન is સંયમ (self-restraint): you can appreciate what is attractive while choosing your response deliberately. This protects both your dignity and the dignity of others.

બાલે લીલામુકુલિતં અમી મંથરા દૃષ્ટિપાતાઃ
કિં ક્ષિપ્યંતે વિરમવિરમ વ્યર્થ એષ શ્રમસ્તે ।
સંપ્રત્યન્યે વયં ઉપરતં બાલ્યં આસ્થા વનાંતે
ક્ષીણો મોહસ્તૃણં ઇવ જગજ્જાલં આલોકયામઃ ॥ 2.62 ॥

છંદઃ (મંદાક્રાંતા): This is in મંદાક્રાંતા (સમ-વૃત્ત) Chandas/Meter: 4 પાદાઃ, 17 અક્ષરાઃ per પાદ; લઘુ/ગુરુ pattern (per પાદ) is `GGGG LLLLLG GLGGLGG`; યતિ (pause) is after the 4th and 10th syllables in each પાદ.

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
બાલે - O young girl
લીલા - playfulness; sport
મુકુલિતં - half-closed like a bud
લીલામુકુલિતં - playfully half-closed (about the eyes/glance)
અમી - these
મંથરાઃ - slow; languid
દૃષ્ટિ - sight; glance
પાતાઃ - falls; castings
દૃષ્ટિપાતાઃ - glances
કિમ્ - why
ક્ષિપ્યંતે - are thrown/cast
વિરમ - stop
વિરમ - stop (repeated for emphasis)
વ્યર્થઃ - futile
એષઃ - this
શ્રમઃ - effort
તે - your
સંપ્રતિ - now
અન્યે - different; other
વયં - we
ઉપરતં - ended; ceased
બાલ્યં - childishness; immaturity
આસ્થા - taking up; abiding; residence
વનાંતે - in the forest; at the forest's edge
ક્ષીણઃ - diminished; worn out
મોહઃ - delusion
તૃણં - grass; straw
ઇવ - like
જગત્ - world
જાલં - net; web
જગજ્જાલં - the world's net; worldly entanglement
આલોકયામઃ - we look upon; we behold

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
O girl, why do you keep casting these slow, playfully half-closed glances? Stop, stop - your effort is futile. We have now left childishness behind and taken up life in the forest; delusion has faded, and we behold the world's net as mere straw.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse describes a shift in priorities: when મોહ (delusion - the mind's spell of "this alone will fulfill me") weakens, the same attractions lose their grip. In day-to-day living, this can happen when someone commits to a higher aim - disciplined study, service, or spiritual practice. The practical અનુસંધાન is honest boundaries: if you have chosen a path, do not keep one foot in flirtation and one foot in renunciation. Clarity is kinder than mixed signals.

ઇયં બાલા માં પ્રત્યનવરતં ઇંદીવરદલપ્રભા
ચીરં ચક્ષુઃ ક્ષિપતિ કિં અભિપ્રેતં અનયા ।
ગતો મોહોઽસ્માકં સ્મરશબરબાણવ્યતિકરજ્વર
જ્વાલા શાંતા તદપિ ન વરાકી વિરમતિ ॥ 2.63 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
ઇયં - this
બાલા - young girl
માં - me
પ્રતિ - toward (verse: માં પ્રતિ)
અનવરતં - continually; without pause
ઇંદીવર - blue lotus
દલ - petal
પ્રભા - radiance; luster
ઇંદીવરદલપ્રભા - radiance like a blue-lotus petal (about her glance/eyes)
ચીરં - for a long time
ચક્ષુઃ - eye; glance
ક્ષિપતિ - throws; casts
કિમ્ - what
અભિપ્રેતં - intended
અનયા - by her
ગતઃ - gone
મોહઃ - delusion
અસ્માકં - of us (verse: મોહોઽસ્માકં = મોહઃ + અસ્માકં)
સ્મર - Cupid; desire
શબર - hunter
બાણ - arrow
વ્યતિકર - crowd; shower; barrage
જ્વર - fever
જ્વાલા - flame
સ્મરશબરબાણવ્યતિકરજ્વર - fever born of Cupid-the-hunter's shower of arrows
શાંતા - cooled; quenched
તદપિ - even then
ન - not
વરાકી - the poor girl
વિરમતિ - stops; ceases

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
This young girl keeps casting, again and again, her blue-lotus-petal-like gaze toward me for a long time - what does she intend? Our delusion is gone; the fever-flame born of Cupid-the-hunter's shower of arrows is quenched, and yet the poor girl does not stop.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse shows two different inner worlds meeting: one side still speaks through glances and longing, the other has moved on. In our daily routines, this mismatch happens when one person seeks attention and the other has clearly shifted priorities - or when someone continues to flirt after another person has stepped away. The practical અનુસંધાન is to respond with respect: do not exploit attention, and do not shame vulnerability. Where possible, give clarity; where not, keep distance without cruelty.

On a subtler level: Let romance be powered by values, not by secrecy. What feels thrilling in the moment can become harm if it breaks સત્ય (truthfulness) or trust. A practical step is to slow down the first surge: wait, reflect, and speak honestly. Love that respects truth becomes a blessing; love that hides becomes a burden.

કિં કંદર્પ કરં કદર્થયસિ રે કોદંડટંકારિતં
રે રે કોકિલ કોમલં કલરવં કિં વા વૃથા જલ્પસિ ।
મુગ્ધે સ્નિગ્ધવિદગ્ધચારુમધુરૈર્લોલૈઃ કટાક્ષૈરલં
ચેતશ્ચુંબિતચંદ્રચૂડચરણધ્યાનામૃતં વર્તતે ॥ 2.64 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
કિમ્ - why
કંદર્પ - Cupid; desire-personified
કરં - hand; here: Cupid's grasp/assault (a force that "handles" the mind)
કદર્થયસિ - trouble; torment; abuse
રે - O! (interjection)
કોદંડ - bow
ટંકારિતં - made to twang/resound; ringing
રે રે - O! O!
કોકિલ - cuckoo
કોમલં - soft; sweet
કલરવં - gentle sound; cooing
કિમ્ - why
વા - or
વૃથા - in vain
જલ્પસિ - you sing/prattle
મુગ્ધે - O innocent one
સ્નિગ્ધ - affectionate; smooth
વિદગ્ધ - clever; artful
ચારુ - lovely
મધુરૈઃ - sweet
લોલૈઃ - playful; restless
કટાક્ષૈઃ - with sidelong glances
અલં - enough!
ચેતઃ - mind
ચુંબિત - kissed; touched
ચંદ્રચૂડ - moon-crested Lord Shiva
ચરણ - feet
ધ્યાન - meditation
અમૃતં - nectar
ચેતશ્ચુંબિતચંદ્રચૂડચરણધ્યાનામૃતં - the nectar of meditation on Shiva's feet, "kissed" by the mind
વર્તતે - remains; abides; is engaged

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
Why, Cupid, do you still trouble me with your bow's twang? O cuckoo, why sing your sweet notes in vain? O innocent girl, enough with your affectionate, clever, lovely, sweet, playful side-glances - my mind abides in the nectar of meditation on the feet of moon-crested Shiva.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse points to a principle found across ભક્તિ and યોગ: a lower pull weakens when a higher taste becomes real. When the mind is absorbed in ધ્યાન (steady contemplation), even springtime triggers - birdsong, flirtation, the climate of desire - lose their power. In today's relationships, this is the difference between willpower and purpose: sheer resistance is exhausting, but a clear inner anchor makes restraint natural. The practical અનુસંધાન is to build that anchor intentionally through daily practice.

A gentle practice is: From an inner standpoint, remember that the rush is a wave in the mind. આદિ શંકરાચાર્ય reminds us in આત્મ ષટકમ્, મનો બુદ્ધ્યહંકાર ચિત્તાનિ નાહમ્ (I am not the mind, intellect, ego, or mind-stuff). Returning to that witness does not kill love; it makes love workable, so you can act with dignity instead of being driven.

વિરહેઽપિ સંગમઃ ખલુ
પરસ્પરં સંગતં મનો યેષામ્ ।
હૃદયં અપિ વિઘટ્ટિતં ચેત્
સંગી વિરહં વિશેષયતિ ॥ 2.65 ॥

છંદઃ (માત્રા-ચંદસ્): This is in a માત્રા-based Chandas/Meter (not a fixed અક્ષર-count વૃત્ત): in this verse, the written segments carry approximately 13 + 18 + 14 + 15 માત્રાઃ (total 60); treat લઘુ=1 માત્રા and ગુરુ=2 માત્રાઃ, and keep the natural pauses at the segment ends marked by `।`/`॥` (do not confuse દંડ with internal યતિ).

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
વિરહે - in separation
અપિ - even (verse: વિરહેઽપિ = વિરહે + અપિ)
સંગમઃ - union; meeting
ખલુ - indeed
પરસ્પરં - mutually
સંગતં - united; joined
મનઃ - mind
યેષાં - of whom
હૃદયં - heart
અપિ - even
વિઘટ્ટિતં - broken; shattered
ચેત્ - if
સંગી - one united; a companion (one whose mind is joined)
વિરહં - separation
વિશેષયતિ - makes special; intensifies; heightens

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
Even in separation there is union for those whose minds are mutually united; and even if the heart is broken, that very union only heightens the poignancy of separation.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse captures a paradox: emotional closeness can make absence feel more intense. In real-world settings, this is the psychology of long-distance love - the bond remains, but the distance amplifies longing. The practical અનુસંધાન is to support the bond with clear communication and shared routines (regular calls, mutual plans, trust), so that વિરહ (separation) does not become needless suffering.

One more layer is this: Longing magnifies: the mind replays memories and interprets everything through absence. Give longing a wholesome outlet - write, create, pray, or serve - so it becomes expression rather than rumination. If you are in relationship, turn longing into reliability and communication rather than suspicion.

કિં ગતેન યદિ સા ન જીવતિ
પ્રાણિતિ પ્રિયતમા તથાપિ કિમ્ ।
ઇત્યુદીક્ષ્ય નવમેઘમાલિકાં
ન પ્રયાતિ પથિકઃ સ્વમંદિરમ્ ॥ 2.66 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
કિમ્ - what (use) is
ગતેન - by going; by returning
યદિ - if
સા - she
ન - not
જીવતિ - lives
પ્રાણિતિ - breathes; lives
પ્રિયતમા - the beloved
તથાપિ - even then
કિમ્ - what (use)
ઇતિ - thus
ઉદીક્ષ્ય - having looked at; having seen
નવ - new
મેઘ - cloud
માલિકાં - row; garland
ન - not
પ્રયાતિ - goes
પથિકઃ - traveler
સ્વ - own
મંદિરં - home

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
Thinking, "What is the point of going back if she is not alive? And even if the beloved is alive, what then?" - on seeing a garland of fresh clouds, the traveler does not go to his home.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse portrays how longing can paralyze action: the mind spins scenarios, and even a simple return home becomes impossible. In lived experience, this is the avoidance that comes from fear - fear of rejection, change, or what we will find when we return. The practical અનુસંધાન is to stop feeding hypothetical misery and take the next honest step: communicate, show up, and accept whatever truth is present rather than living inside anxious imagination.

A helpful way to apply this is: Separation teaches that the root of pain is clinging, not love itself. When you broaden your identity beyond one bond, you suffer less and you love better. Keep friendships, work, and inner practices alive. This does not reduce love; it stabilizes it.

વિરમત બુધા યોષિત્સંગાત્સુખાત્ક્ષણભંગુરાત્
કુરુત કરુણામૈત્રીપ્રજ્ઞાવધૂજનસંગમમ્ ।
ન ખલુ નરકે હારાક્રાંતં ઘનસ્તનમંડલં
શરણં અથવા શ્રોણીબિંબં રણન્મણિમેખલમ્ ॥ 2.67 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
વિરમત - desist; refrain
બુધાઃ - O wise ones
યોષિત્ - woman
સંગાત્ - from association; from company
સુખ્હાત્ - from pleasure
ક્ષણ - moment
ભંગુર - fragile; quickly broken
ક્ષણભંગુરાત્ - fleeting; lasting only a moment
કુરુત - do; cultivate
કરુણા - compassion
મૈત્રી - friendship; loving-kindness
પ્રજ્ઞા - wisdom; insight
વધૂ - bride (metaphor here)
જન - people
સંગમં - association; company
કરુણામૈત્રીપ્રજ્ઞાવધૂજનસંગમં - company of compassion, friendship, and the bride named wisdom
ન - not
ખલુ - indeed
નરકે - in hell
હાર - necklace
આક્રાંતં - encircled; covered
ઘન - dense; heavy
સ્તન - breast
મંડલં - orb; circle
ઘનસ્તનમંડલં - a heavy orb of breasts (poetic)
શરણં - refuge
અથવા - or
શ્રોણી - hips
બિંબં - orb; round fruit (poetic for rounded hips)
રણન્ - jingling
મણિ - jewel
મેખલા - girdle
રણન્મણિમેખલં - a jingling jeweled girdle

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
Wise ones, refrain from the fleeting pleasure found in women's company; cultivate instead the company of compassion, friendship, and wisdom. For in hell, neither necklace-clad heavy bosoms nor rounded hips with jingling jeweled girdles will be your refuge.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse contrasts short-lived thrills with long-lived virtues. It uses sensual imagery as a symbol for ક્ષણિક (momentary) pleasure: when consequences arrive, beauty cannot protect you. In ordinary situations, the same pattern shows up when impulse overrides ethics - an affair, an addiction, or a dishonest shortcut. The practical અનુસંધાન is to actively invest in કરુણા (compassion), મૈત્રી (friendship), and પ્રજ્ઞા (wisdom): these are the supports that remain when circumstances become difficult.

To carry this wisely: Timing matters. Do not try to resolve everything at peak emotion. Pause, cool down, then speak. When you repair quickly and gently, love becomes a place of safety; when you turn small quarrels into ego battles, romance becomes exhaustion. Let the verse nudge you toward calmer repair.

યદા યોગાભ્યાસવ્યસનકૃશયોરાત્મમનસોરવિચ્છિન્ના
મૈત્રી સ્ફુરતિ કૃતિનસ્તસ્ય કિં ઉ તૈઃ ।
પ્રિયાણાં આલાપૈરધરમધુભિર્વક્ત્રવિધુભિઃ
સનિશ્વાસામોદૈઃ સકુચકલશાશ્લેષસુરતૈઃ ॥ 2.68 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
યદા - when
યોગ - yoga
અભ્યાસ - practice
વ્યસન - intense habit; absorbed pursuit
કૃશ - thin; lean (i.e., desires weakened; body/mind made light)
યોગાભ્યાસવ્યસનકૃશયોઃ - of (one) made lean by intense yoga-practice
આત્મ - self
મનસોઃ - of the self and the mind (dual)
અવિચ્છિન્ના - unbroken; uninterrupted
મૈત્રી - friendship; harmony
સ્ફુરતિ - shines forth; appears
કૃતિનઃ - of the accomplished one
તસ્ય - for him
કિં ઉ - what indeed (need)
તૈઃ - by those
પ્રિયાણાં - of loved ones
આલાપૈઃ - with conversations; talk
અધર - lip
મધુ - honey
અધરમધુભિઃ - with honey of the lips
વક્ત્ર - face
વિધુ - moon
વક્ત્રવિધુભિઃ - with moon-like faces
નિશ્વાસ - breath; exhalation
આમોદ - fragrance
સનિશ્વાસામોદૈઃ - with the fragrance of breath
કુચ - breast
કલશ - pot (metaphor for rounded breasts)
આશ્લેષ - embrace
સુરત - lovemaking; intimacy
સકુચકલશાશ્લેષસુરતૈઃ - with intimate embraces of the "pot-like" breasts

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
When, through intense meditative discipline, an unbroken harmony between the self and the mind shines in an accomplished person, what need has he of lovers' talk, honey-lips, moonlike faces, fragrant breaths, and intimate embraces?

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
This verse describes a shift from outward sweetness to inward fullness. When the mind becomes a friend to the આત્મ (Self), it no longer begs the world for constant stimulation. In practical terms, this shows up when someone experiences deep contentment from meditation, meaningful work, or service: external pleasures are still seen, but they are no longer necessities. The practical અનુસંધાન is to build that inner friendship gradually through daily practice rather than expecting desire to disappear by mere moral effort.

A mature reading suggests: This is also an invitation to અનુસંધાન (contemplative linking): notice how the same object looks different when you are agitated versus when you are calm. That observation itself is freedom. As calm grows, the world is still beautiful, but it no longer owns you.

યદાસીદજ્ઞાનં સ્મરતિમિરસંચારજનિતં
તદા દૃષ્ટનારીમયં ઇદં અશેષં જગદિતિ ।
ઇદાનીં અસ્માકં પટુતરવિવેકાંજનજુષાં
સમીભૂતા દૃષ્ટિસ્ત્રિભુવનં અપિ બ્રહ્મ મનુતે ॥ 2.69 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
યદા - when
આસીત્ - was
અજ્ઞાનં - ignorance
યદાસીદજ્ઞાનં - when there was ignorance (verse join)
સ્મર - Cupid; desire
તિમિર - darkness
સંચાર - roaming; movement
જનિતં - produced
સ્મરતિમિરસંચારજનિતં - produced by the roaming darkness of desire
તદા - then
દૃષ્ટ - seen
નારી - woman
મયં - made of; consisting of
દૃષ્ટનારીમયં - seen as "made of woman" (everything looked like her)
ઇદં - this
અશેષં - entire; without remainder
જગત્ - world
ઇતિ - thus
ઇદાનીં - now
અસ્માકં - of us
પટુતરા - very sharp
વિવેક - discernment
અંજન - collyrium; eye-ointment (metaphor: clarifying medicine for the eye of understanding)
જુષાં - of those who use/possess
પટુતરવિવેકાંજનજુષાં - of us who are anointed with sharp discernment
સમીભૂતા - become even; steady; balanced
દૃષ્ટિઃ - vision; way of seeing
ત્રિભુવનં - the three worlds
અપિ - even
બ્રહ્મ - બ્રહ્મન્ (the Absolute)
મનુતે - considers; understands

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
When ignorance, produced by the roaming darkness of desire, prevailed, this entire world seemed nothing but the beloved - as if it were "made of woman". But now, with sharp discernment, our vision has become steady: we see even the three worlds as the one Absolute Reality.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
This verse is a direct bridge to અદ્વૈત: obsession is not only an emotion, it is a filter that colors reality. When અજ્ઞાન (ignorance) and સ્મર (desire) dominate, everything is interpreted through one craving. When વિવેક (discernment) arises, perception becomes balanced and begins to recognize the underlying whole. In the way we live now, this is the difference between "everything reminds me of one person" and "I can see life as it is". The practical અનુસંધાન is to notice when perception is being hijacked and to return to clarity through disciplined habits and self-inquiry.

If you want this verse to uplift you: Here ભર્તૃહરિ hints that perception is colored by desire and clarified by વિવેક. This is central to અદ્વૈત: the mind projects, and freedom begins when projection is seen. A simple practice is to watch your own stories and ask, "What am I adding to what is happening?" That question loosens obsession.

તાવદેવ કૃતિનાં અપિ સ્ફુરત્યેષ
નિર્મલવિવેકદીપકઃ ।
યાવદેવ ન કુરંગચક્ષુષાં
તાડ્યતે ચટુલલોચનાંચલૈઃ ॥ 2.70 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
તાવત્ - so long
એવ - only
કૃતિનાં - of the accomplished; the capable
અપિ - even
સ્ફુરતિ - shines forth; appears
એષઃ - this
નિર્મલ - pure; stainless
વિવેક - discernment
દીપકઃ - lamp
નિર્મલવિવેકદીપકઃ - the lamp of pure discernment
યાવત્ - as long as
એવ - only
ન - not
કુરંગ - deer
ચક્ષુષાં - of the eyes; of the deer-eyed (women)
તાડ્યતે - is struck; is beaten
ચટુલ - fickle; playful
લોચન - eye
અંચલૈઃ - by the corners/ends (of the eyes); by glances
ચટુલલોચનાંચલૈઃ - by playful, darting glances

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
Even in the accomplished, the lamp of pure discernment shines only so long as it is not struck by the playful, darting glances of doe-eyed women.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse is a warning about overconfidence: talent and intelligence do not automatically protect us from temptation. At home and at work, the mind gets struck not only by a glance, but by carefully designed stimuli - flirtation, attention, curated images, and praise. The practical અનુસંધાન is humility and preventive discipline: reduce exposure to triggers, keep your schedule and values strong, and do not assume that being "smart" makes you immune.

From a broader perspective: આદિ શંકરાચાર્ય's refrain ચિદાનંદરૂપઃ શિવોઽહં શિવોઽહમ્ points to the Self as awareness-bliss. When you rest even briefly in that, attraction and aversion stop being dictators. Love remains, but it is no longer desperate. Let the verse remind you to keep one foot in inner clarity.

વચસિ ભવતિ સંગત્યાગં ઉદ્દિશ્ય વાર્તા
શ્રુતિમુખરમુખાનાં કેવલં પંડિતાનામ્ ।
જઘનં અરુણરત્નગ્રંથિકાંચીકલાપં
કુવલયનયનાનાં કો વિહાતું સમર્થઃ ॥ 2.71 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
વચસિ - in speech; in words
ભવતિ - becomes; happens
સંગતિ - association; attachment
ત્યાગઃ - abandonment; renunciation
સંગત્યાગઃ - renunciation of attachment (in verse: સંગત્યાગં)
ઉદ્દિશ્ય - aiming at; with reference to; about
વાર્તા - talk; discussion
શ્રુતિ - શ્રુતિ (Vedas)
મુખર - resounding; noisy
મુખાનાં - of mouths
શ્રુતિમુખરમુખાનાં - of those whose mouths resound with શ્રુતિ
કેવલં - merely; only
પંડિતાનાં - of scholars
જઘનં - hips; buttocks
અરુણ - red
રત્ન - gem
ગ્રંથિકા - knot
અંચી - girdle; waist-chain
કલાપઃ - cluster; arrangement
અરુણરત્નગ્રંથિકાંચીકલાપં - a waist-girdle arrangement knotted with red gems
કુવલય - blue lotus
નયનાનાં - of eyes
કુવલયનયનાનાં - of lotus-eyed women
કઃ - who
વિહાતું - to abandon; to give up
સમર્થઃ - capable; able

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
Scholars whose mouths resound with the Vedas may speak of "renouncing attachments" - but who is actually capable of giving up the lotus-eyed woman's hips adorned with a waist-girdle knotted with red gems?

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse points to the gap between talk and transformation. It is easy to recite lofty ideas about સંગ (attachment) and ત્યાગ (letting go) in a safe setting; it is harder when the senses are directly invited. These days, this looks like preaching minimalism while still craving status symbols, or speaking about boundaries while still chasing attention in subtle ways. The practical અનુસંધાન is honesty: admit what pulls you, reduce triggers, and choose small consistent disciplines so that your actions match your words.

સ્વપરપ્રતારકોઽસૌ
નિંદતિ યોઽલીકપંડિતો યુવતીઃ ।
યસ્માત્તપસોઽપિ ફલં
સ્વર્ગઃ સ્વર્ગેઽપિ ચાપ્સરસઃ ॥ 2.72 ॥

છંદઃ (આર્યા): This is in આર્યા (માત્રા-ચંદસ્) Chandas/Meter: 12+18 માત્રાઃ in the first half (30 total) and 12+15 માત્રાઃ in the second half (27 total); treat લઘુ=1 માત્રા and ગુરુ=2 માત્રાઃ, and use the 12-માત્રા splits as the natural યતિ (pauses).

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
સ્વ - self
પર - others
પ્રતારકઃ - deceiver; cheat
સ્વપરપ્રતારકઃ - one who deceives both self and others
અસૌ - that person (verse: સ્વપરપ્રતારકોઽસૌ = સ્વપરપ્રતારકઃ + અસૌ)
નિંદતિ - criticizes; condemns
યઃ - who (verse: યો = યઃ)
લીક - false; hypocritical
પંડિતઃ - scholar
લીકપંડિતઃ - a false scholar; hypocritical "pandit"
યુવતીઃ - young women
યસ્માત્ - because
તપસ્ - austerity
ફલં - fruit; result
તપસઃ - of austerity (verse: તપસો = તપસઃ)
અપિ - even
સ્વર્ગઃ - heaven
સ્વર્ગે - in heaven
ચ - and
અપ્સરસઃ - અપ્સરસ્ (heavenly nymphs)

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
That hypocritical "scholar" who condemns young women is a deceiver of both himself and others; for even austerity bears the fruit of heaven - and even in heaven there are celestial nymphs.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse is not defending indulgence; it is attacking hypocrisy and scapegoating. Desire does not vanish just because we speak against it, and blaming women is an easy way to avoid owning one's own કામ (desire). When you look around today, this appears as moralizing that hides private compulsions, or "virtue signaling" that collapses under pressure. The practical અનુસંધાન is self-responsibility: acknowledge attraction, set clear boundaries, and practice discipline without turning it into judgment of others.

A gentle practice is: Timing matters. Do not try to resolve everything at peak emotion. Pause, cool down, then speak. When you repair quickly and gently, love becomes a place of safety; when you turn small quarrels into ego battles, romance becomes exhaustion. Let the verse nudge you toward calmer repair.

મત્તેભકુંભદલને ભુવિ સંતિ ધીરાઃ
કેચિત્પ્રચંડમૃગરાજવધેઽપિ દક્ષાઃ ।
કિંતુ બ્રવીમિ બલિનાં પુરતઃ પ્રસહ્ય
કંદર્પદર્પદલને વિરલા મનુષ્યાઃ ॥ 2.73 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
મત્તેબ - intoxicated/maddened elephant
કુંભઃ - temple (forehead globes of an elephant)
દલનં - splitting; breaking
મત્તેભકુંભદલને - in splitting the temples of a maddened elephant
ભુવિ - on earth
સંતિ - are; exist
ધીરાઃ - brave; steady
કેચિત્ - some
પ્રચંડ - fierce
મૃગ - beast
રાજઃ - king
મૃગરાજઃ - lion (king of beasts)
વધે - in killing
અપિ - even (verse: વધેઽપિ = વધે + અપિ)
દક્ષાઃ - skilled; capable
કિંતુ - but
બ્રવીમિ - I say
બલિનાં - of the strong
પુરતઃ - in front of; in the presence of
પ્રસહ્ય - boldly; forcibly
કંદર્પ - Cupid; desire-personified
દર્પઃ - pride; arrogance
દલનં - crushing; breaking
કંદર્પદર્પદલને - in crushing the pride of Cupid
વિરલાઃ - rare
મનુષ્યાઃ - humans; men

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
On earth there are heroes who can split the temples of a maddened elephant, and some who are skilled even at slaying a fierce lion; but I say boldly, even before the strong: rare indeed are those who can crush the pride of Cupid.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
Outer courage is visible, but inner mastery is harder. The "pride of Cupid" is the mind's insistence: "I must have this now." In daily interactions, we may win debates, close deals, or endure hardship, yet lose to impulses - compulsive scrolling, addiction, flirtation that becomes secrecy, anger that ruins relationships. The practical અનુસંધાન is to train ઇંદ્રિયનિગ્રહ (sense-discipline) like any other skill: reduce triggers, build habits, and keep accountability so that desire does not quietly overthrow your values.

One more layer is this: Let romance be powered by values, not by secrecy. What feels thrilling in the moment can become harm if it breaks સત્ય (truthfulness) or trust. A practical step is to slow down the first surge: wait, reflect, and speak honestly. Love that respects truth becomes a blessing; love that hides becomes a burden.

સન્માર્ગે તાવદાસ્તે પ્રભવતિ ચ નરસ્તાવદેવેંદ્રિયાણાં
લજ્જાં તાવદ્વિધત્તે વિનયં અપિ સમાલંબતે તાવદેવ ।
ભ્રૂચાપાકૃષ્ટમુક્તાઃ શ્રવણપથગતા નીલપક્ષ્માણ એતે
યાવલ્લીલાવતીનાં હૃદિ ન ધૃતિમુષો દૃષ્ટિબાણાઃ પતંતિ ॥ 2.74 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
સત્ - good; right
માર્ગઃ - path
સન્માર્ગે - on the good path
તાવત્ - so long as
આસ્તે - remains; stays
પ્રભવતિ - prevails; is effective
ચ - and
નરઃ - a man
એવ - only
ઇંદ્રિયાણાં - of the senses
લજ્જાં - modesty
વિધત્તે - maintains; establishes
વિનયં - humility
અપિ - also
સમાલંબતે - holds on to; sustains
ભ્રૂ - eyebrow
ચાપઃ - bow
ભ્રૂચાપઃ - eyebrow-bow
આકૃષ્ટ - drawn (as an arrow)
મુક્તાઃ - released; shot
શ્રવણ - ear
પથઃ - path
ગતઃ - gone to; reaching
શ્રવણપથગતાઃ - reaching the path of the ear (coming into awareness)
નીલ - dark/blue
પક્ષ્માણઃ - eyelashes
નીલપક્ષ્માણઃ - dark-lashed
એતે - these
યાવત્ - as long as
લીલાવતીનાં - of playful women
હૃદિ - in the heart
ન - not
ધૃતિ - firmness; steadiness
મુષઃ - stealing
દૃષ્ટિ - glance
બાણાઃ - arrows
દૃષ્ટિબાણાઃ - arrows of glance
પતંતિ - fall; strike

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
A man stays on the right path, keeps mastery of the senses, and maintains modesty and humility - only so long as the dark-lashed glance-arrows of playful women, drawn from the eyebrow-bow and released, do not strike the heart and steal away steadiness.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
This is not "women are the enemy"; it is "temptation tests everyone." The poet uses the "glance-arrow" as a symbol for small stimuli that suddenly hijack attention. In common experience, the arrows can be a flirtatious message, curated images, or the thrill of being wanted - and once ધૃતિ (steadiness) is stolen, people rationalize actions they would otherwise reject. The practical અનુસંધાન is preventive: avoid situations that predictably weaken you, keep transparency and accountability, and let major decisions be made when the mind is calm, not when it is dazzled.

A helpful way to apply this is: Bhakti poetry often borrows romance to teach surrender. In આદિ શંકરાચાર્ય's શિવાનંદ લહરી, intensity is redirected into devotion, showing a principle: love becomes peaceful when ego stops demanding and starts giving. Apply that here by practicing gratitude, not control.

ઉન્મત્તપ્રેમસંરંભાદ્
આરભંતે યદ્અંગનાઃ ।
તત્ર પ્રત્યૂહં આધાતું
બ્રહ્માપિ ખલુ કાતરઃ ॥ 2.75 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
ઉન્મત્ત - mad; intoxicated
પ્રેમ - love
સંરંભઃ - impetuous outburst; agitation
ઉન્મત્તપ્રેમસંરંભાત્ - from an impetuous surge of mad love
આરભંતે - begin; undertake
યદા - when
અંગનાઃ - women
યદ્અંગનાઃ - when women (verse join: યદા + અંગનાઃ)
તત્ર - there
પ્રત્યૂહં - obstacle; hindrance
આધાતું - to place; to put
બ્રહ્મા - Brahma
અપિ - even
ખલુ - indeed
કાતરઃ - helpless; powerless

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
When women, driven by an impetuous surge of mad love, begin something, then even Brahma is indeed helpless to place an obstacle in their way.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse praises the momentum of passion, and also warns about its force. When સંરંભ (impetuous agitation) takes over, advice and consequences feel distant. In contemporary life, this is when someone rushes into secrecy, makes promises they cannot keep, or burns bridges because the emotion feels "destined". The practical અનુસંધાન is to slow the first surge: wait a day before major decisions, speak to a trusted friend, and check whether the action will still look wise when the intensity settles.

તાવન્મહત્ત્વં પાંડિત્યં
કુલીનત્વં વિવેકિતા ।
યાવજ્જ્વલતિ નાંગેષુ
હતઃ પંચેષુપાવકઃ ॥ 2.76 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
તાવત્ - so long
મહત્ત્વં - greatness; eminence
પાંડિત્યં - scholarship; learning
કુલીનત્વં - noble lineage; good family
વિવેકિતા - discernment; good judgment
યાવત્ - as long as
જ્વલતિ - burns; blazes
ન - not
અંગેષુ - in the limbs; in the body
નાંગેષુ - not in the limbs (sandhi: ન + અંગેષુ)
હતઃ - struck; smitten
પંચ - five
એષુઃ - arrow
પંચેષુઃ - the five-arrowed one (Cupid)
પાવકઃ - fire
પંચેષુપાવકઃ - the fire of the five-arrowed Cupid

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
Greatness, scholarship, noble lineage, and discernment last only so long as the fire of the five-arrowed Cupid, once it strikes, does not blaze in one's limbs.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse is a sober observation: under strong desire, we can temporarily lose what we take pride in - judgment, reputation, and even basic decency. In everyday life, this can look like an accomplished person risking a career for a short-lived affair, or someone intelligent making reckless financial and relational choices because they feel "consumed". The practical અનુસંધાન is to treat desire as fire: enjoy its warmth, but build guardrails - boundaries, transparency, and time to think - so it does not burn down what you value.

શાસ્ત્રજ્ઞોઽપિ પ્રથિતવિનયોઽપ્યાત્મબોધોઽપિ બાઢં
સંસારેઽસ્મિન્ભવતિ વિરલો ભાજનં સદ્ગતીનામ્ ।
યેનૈતસ્મિન્નિરયનગરદ્વારં ઉદ્ઘાટયંતી
વામાક્ષીણાં ભવતિ કુટિલા ભ્રૂલતા કુંચિકેવ ॥ 2.77 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
શાસ્ત્ર - scripture
જ્ઞઃ - knower
શાસ્ત્રજ્ઞઃ - knower of scripture
અપિ - even (verse: શાસ્ત્રજ્ઞોઽપિ = શાસ્ત્રજ્ઞઃ + અપિ)
પ્રથિત - renowned; well-known
વિનયઃ - humility; good conduct
પ્રથિતવિનયઃ - renowned for humility
અપિ - even (verse: પ્રથિતવિનયોઽપિ = પ્રથિતવિનયઃ + અપિ)
આત્મ - Self
બોધઃ - knowledge; awakening
આત્મબોધઃ - self-knowledge
અપિ - even (verse: આત્મબોધોઽપિ = આત્મબોધઃ + અપિ)
બાઢં - indeed; certainly
સંસારે - in the world
અસ્મિન્ - in this
સંસારેઽસ્મિન્ - in this world (sandhi)
ભવતિ - becomes; is
વિરલઃ - rare
ભાજનં - vessel; fit receptacle
સત્ - good
ગતિઃ - path; destiny
સદ્ગતીનાં - of the good path / good destinies
યેન - by which; because of which
એતસ્મિન્ - in this
નિરય - hell
નગર - city
દ્વારં - gate
નિરયનગરદ્વારં - the gate of the city of hell
ઉદ્ઘાટયંતી - opening; unbolting
વામા - lovely; charming (also: "woman")
અક્ષી - eye
વામાક્ષીણાં - of lovely-eyed women
કુટિલા - crooked
ભ્રૂ - eyebrow
લતા - creeper; vine
ભ્રૂલતા - eyebrow-vine
કુંચિકા - key
ઇવ - like

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
Even a knower of scripture, even one famed for humility, and even one established in self-knowledge is, in this world, rarely a vessel fit for the good path - because the crooked eyebrow-vine of lovely-eyed women becomes like a key that opens the gate to the city of hell.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse is hyperbole, but its point is practical: knowledge has to be assimilated, not merely collected. In અદ્વૈત, this is why જ્ઞાન (knowledge) is paired with વાસના-kShaya (wearing down latent impressions) and steady અભ્યાસ (practice). In day-to-day living, you can be educated, respected, and even spiritually informed, yet still be undone by a small trigger - a flirtation, a private chat, a "harmless" secret. The practical અનુસંધાન is humility and structure: treat your weak points seriously, avoid feeding them, and make your life transparent enough that your better intentions can actually win.

કૃશઃ કાણઃ ખંજઃ શ્રવણરહિતઃ પુચ્છવિકલો
વ્રણી પૂયક્લિન્નઃ કૃમિકુલશતૈરાવૃતતનુઃ ।
ક્ષુધા ક્ષામો જીર્ણઃ પિઠરકકપાલાર્પિતગલઃ
શુનીં અન્વેતિ શ્વા હતં અપિ ચ હંત્યેવ મદનઃ ॥ 2.78 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
કૃશઃ - thin; emaciated
કાણઃ - one-eyed
ખંજઃ - lame
શ્રવણ - ear
રહિતઃ - deprived of; without
શ્રવણરહિતઃ - without ears
પુચ્છ - tail
વિકલઃ - deficient; missing
પુચ્છવિકલઃ - without a tail
વ્રણી - wounded
પૂય - pus
ક્લિન્નઃ - soaked; wet
પૂયક્લિન્નઃ - soaked with pus
કૃમિ - worm
કુલં - group; multitude
શતૈઃ - with hundreds
કૃમિકુલશતૈઃ - with hundreds of worms
આવૃત - covered
તનુઃ - body
આવૃતતનુઃ - body covered
ક્ષુધા - by hunger
ક્ષામઃ - withered; emaciated
જીર્ણઃ - worn; old
પિઠરક - broken pot-shard; potsherd
કપાલં - shard; bowl; skull-piece
અર્પિત - placed; fastened
ગલઃ - neck
પિઠરકકપાલાર્પિતગલઃ - whose neck is trapped/fastened in broken pot-shards
શુનીં - a female dog
અન્વેતિ - follows
શ્વા - a dog
હતં - struck; destroyed
અપિ - even
ચ - and
હંતિ - strikes; destroys
એવ - indeed
મદનઃ - મદન (Cupid); desire

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
Thin, one-eyed, lame, earless, tailless, wounded, oozing pus, his body covered with hundreds of worms, withered by hunger and worn with age, his neck trapped in broken pot-shards - even such a dog still follows a female dog. Thus does desire indeed destroy even one who is already destroyed.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
This verse is intentionally shocking to show how blind compulsion can be. મદન here stands for craving itself, not romance: the mind runs toward a stimulus even when it is clearly painful and degrading. In our daily routines, this is any addiction-loop - pornography, gambling, substances, doom-scrolling - or any toxic relationship pattern where the same harm repeats. The practical અનુસંધાન is to treat compulsion as a real problem, not as "destiny": name it, reduce access to triggers, seek support, and rebuild the mind through healthier routines.

From a broader perspective: Let romance be powered by values, not by secrecy. What feels thrilling in the moment can become harm if it breaks સત્ય (truthfulness) or trust. A practical step is to slow down the first surge: wait, reflect, and speak honestly. Love that respects truth becomes a blessing; love that hides becomes a burden.

સ્ત્રીમુદ્રાં કુસુમાયુધસ્ય જયિનીં સર્વાર્થસંપત્કરીં
યે મૂઢાઃ પ્રવિહાય યાંતિ કુધિયો મિથ્યાફલાન્વેષિણઃ ।
તે તેનૈવ નિહત્ય નિર્દયતરં નગ્નીકૃતા મુંડિતાઃ
કેચિત્પંચશિખીકૃતાશ્ચ જટિલાઃ કાપાલિકાશ્ચાપરે ॥ 2.79 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
સ્ત્રી - woman
મુદ્રા - seal; sign; stamp
સ્ત્રીમુદ્રાં - the "seal/sign" of womanhood (metaphor for love/pleasure)
કુસુમ - flower
આયુધઃ - weapon
કુસુમાયુધઃ - the flower-weaponed one (Cupid)
કુસુમાયુધસ્ય - of Cupid
જયિનીં - victorious; conquering
સર્વ - all
અર્થ - aims; purposes
સંપત્ - prosperity
કરીં - making; producing (f.)
સર્વાર્થસંપત્કરીં - producing prosperity for all aims
યે - those who
મૂઢાઃ - fools
પ્રવિહાય - abandoning; giving up
યાંતિ - go
કુ - bad
ધિયઃ - of intellects
કુધિયાઃ - of dull/bad understanding
મિથ્યા - false
ફલં - fruit; result
અન્વેષિણઃ - seekers
મિથ્યાફલાન્વેષિણઃ - seeking false "fruits"
તે - they
તેન - by that (Cupid/desire) itself
એવ - indeed
નિહત્ય - striking down; destroying
નિર્દયતરં - most mercilessly
નગ્ની - naked (f.)
કૃતઃ - made
નગ્નીકૃતાઃ - made naked
મુંડિતાઃ - shaved
કેચિત્ - some
પંચ - five
શિખી - tuft of hair
કૃતઃ - made
પંચશિખીકૃતાઃ - made into (ascetics) with five tufts
ચ - and
જટિલાઃ - matted-haired ascetics
કાપાલિકાઃ - skull-bearing ascetics
ચ - and
અપરે - others

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
Fools of dull understanding abandon the conquering "seal" of Cupid - womanhood, which seems to bring prosperity to all aims - and go seeking false fruits. That very force strikes them down mercilessly: some are made naked and shaved, some turned into five-tufted ascetics, others into matted-haired wanderers, and some into skull-bearing ascetics.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The target is confused renunciation: running away from desire without understanding the mind. When craving is only suppressed, it often returns as obsession, bitterness, or spiritual show. In today's relationships, this can look like someone publicly declaring detachment while privately being consumed by the same longing - or swinging between indulgence and harsh self-punishment. The practical અનુસંધાન is integration: treat desire with clarity and ethics, not denial; channel it into commitment and responsibility, or consciously step back with honest self-work.

On a subtler level: From an inner standpoint, remember that the rush is a wave in the mind. આદિ શંકરાચાર્ય reminds us in આત્મ ષટકમ્, મનો બુદ્ધ્યહંકાર ચિત્તાનિ નાહમ્ (I am not the mind, intellect, ego, or mind-stuff). Returning to that witness does not kill love; it makes love workable, so you can act with dignity instead of being driven.

વિશ્વામિત્રપરાશરપ્રભૃતયો વાતાંબુપર્ણાશનાસ્તેઽપિ
સ્ત્રીમુખપંકજં સુલલિતં દૃષ્ટ્વૈવ મોહં ગતાઃ ।
શાલ્યન્નં સઘૃતં પયોદધિયુતં યે ભુંજતે માનવાસ્તેષામ્
ઇંદ્રિયનિગ્રહો યદિ ભવેદ્વિંધ્યઃ પ્લવેત્સાગરે ॥ 2.80 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
વિશ્વામિત્ર - વિશ્વામિત્ર
પરાશર - પરાશર
પ્રભૃતયઃ - and others like them
વિશ્વામિત્રપરાશરપ્રભૃતયઃ - વિશ્વામિત્ર, પરાશર, and the like
વાત - air
અંબુ - water
પર્ણ - leaf
આશનાઃ - eating; subsisting on
વાતાંબુપર્ણાશનાઃ - subsisting on air, water, and leaves
તે - they
અપિ - even (verse: તેઽપિ = તે + અપિ)
સ્ત્રી - woman
મુખં - face
પંકજં - lotus
સ્ત્રીમુખપંકજં - a woman's lotus-face
સુ - very
લલિતં - charming; graceful
દૃષ્ટ્વા - having seen
એવ - merely; just (verse: દૃષ્ટ્વૈવ = દૃષ્ટ્વા + એવ)
મોહં - delusion
ગતાઃ - gone into; fallen into
શાલિ - rice
અન્નં - food
શાલ્યન્નં - rice-food
સ - with
ઘૃતં - ghee
સઘૃતં - with ghee
પયસ્ - milk
દધિ - curd
યુતં - joined with; accompanied by
પયોદધિયુતં - accompanied by milk and curd
યે - those who
ભુંજતે - eat
માનવાઃ - humans
તેષાં - of them (verse: માનવાસ્તેષામ્ = માનવાઃ + તેષાં)
ઇંદ્રિય - senses
નિગ્રહઃ - restraint; control
ઇંદ્રિયનિગ્રહઃ - sense-control
યદિ - if
ભવેત્ - would be (verse: ભવેદ્વિંધ્યઃ = ભવેત્ + વિંધ્યઃ)
વિંધ્યઃ - the Vindhya mountain
પ્લવેત્ - would float
સાગરે - in the ocean (verse: પ્લવેત્સાગરે = પ્લવેત્ + સાગરે)

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
Even sages like Vishvamitra and Parashara, who subsist on air, water, and leaves, fell into delusion merely by seeing a woman's graceful lotus-face. If humans who eat rice with ghee and milk/curd could truly restrain the senses, then the Vindhya mountain would float in the ocean.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse argues for humility about self-control. If even disciplined ascetics can stumble, ordinary people should neither be smug nor despairing. In real-world settings, willpower alone is often not enough; environment and habits matter. The practical અનુસંધાન is to train ઇંદ્રિયનિગ્રહ (sense-discipline) gradually: choose what you consume (media, company, impulses), create distance from predictable triggers, and build supportive routines rather than relying on momentary resolve.

A gentle practice is: A simple daily practice is to check intention: am I trying to connect, or am I trying to win? The verse reminds us that relationship is built by small choices - listening, truthfulness, and respect for boundaries. When those are steady, even strong emotions become beautiful instead of chaotic.

પરિમલભૃતો વાતાઃ શાખા નવાંકુરકોટયો
મધુરવિરુતોત્કંઠા વાચઃ પ્રિયાઃ પિકપક્ષિણામ્ ।
વિરલસુરતસ્વેદોદ્ગારા વધૂવદનેંદવઃ
પ્રસરતિ મધૌ રાત્ર્યાં જાતો ન કસ્ય ગુણોદયઃ ॥ 2.81 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
પરિમલ - fragrance
ભૃતઃ - bearing; carrying
પરિમલભૃતઃ - fragrance-bearing
વાતાઃ - winds
શાખા - branches
નવ - new
અંકુર - sprout
કોટયઃ - tips; points
નવાંકુરકોટયઃ - tips of new sprouts
મધુર - sweet
વિરુતં - sound; cooing; song
ઉત્કંઠા - longing; yearning
મધુરવિરુતોત્કંઠા - longing stirred by sweet calls
વાચઃ - voices; calls
પ્રિયાઃ - dear; beloved
પિક - cuckoo
પક્ષિણાં - of birds
પિકપક્ષિણાં - of cuckoo birds
વિરલ - sparse; slight
સુરત - lovemaking; intimacy
સ્વેદ - sweat
ઉદ્ગારઃ - exudation; emission
વિરલસુરતસ્વેદોદ્ગારાઃ - (having) only slight sweat due to lovemaking
વધૂ - bride; young woman
વદનં - face
ઇંદુઃ - moon
વધૂવદનેંદવઃ - moonlike faces of women
પ્રસરતિ - spreads; unfolds
મધૌ - in spring (મધુ season/month)
રાત્ર્યાં - in the night
જાતઃ - arisen; produced
ન - not
કસ્ય - of whom
ગુણઃ - quality; excellence
ઉદયઃ - rise; awakening
ગુણોદયઃ - awakening/rising of qualities

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
Fragrance-bearing winds blow; branches show tips of fresh sprouts; the cuckoo's sweet calls kindle yearning; and women's moonlike faces show only faint beads of sweat from intimacy. When spring spreads into the nights, whose good qualities do not bloom?

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse captures how ઋતુ (season) changes the mind: the same world feels freshly alive, and even ordinary people become more affectionate, poetic, and expressive. In lived experience too, weather and atmosphere affect mood - spring can increase sociability and romance, and small sights/sounds become emotional triggers. The practical અનુસંધાન is to enjoy this uplift consciously: let the season inspire creativity and warmth, while keeping વિવેક (discernment) so excitement does not turn into impulsiveness.

One more layer is this: These seasonal images show how mood is shaped by climate. When you feel more restless or nostalgic, treat it as a natural rhythm, not as a command. Use it to deepen appreciation: be kinder, write more, reach out more. But do not let mood drive reckless choices; let it become beauty with discipline.

મધુરયં મધુરૈરપિ કોકિલા
કલરવૈર્મલયસ્ય ચ વાયુભિઃ ।
વિરહિણઃ પ્રહિણસ્તિ શરીરિણો
વિપદિ હંત સુધાપિ વિષાયતે ॥ 2.82 ॥

છંદઃ (દ્રુતવિલંબિત): This is in દ્રુતવિલંબિત (સમ-વૃત્ત) Chandas/Meter: 4 પાદાઃ, 12 અક્ષરાઃ per પાદ; લઘુ/ગુરુ pattern (per પાદ) is `LLLGLLGLLGLG`.

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
મધુરયં - sweetening; making sweet
મધુરૈઃ - by sweet things; with sweetness
અપિ - even
કોકિલા - the cuckoo (here: cuckoo birds)
કલ - soft; melodious
રવૈઃ - with sounds
કલરવૈઃ - with melodious calls
મલયસ્ય - of the Malaya mountain (source of fragrant breeze)
ચ - and
વાયુભિઃ - by winds
વિરહિણઃ - of the separated; of love-lorn people
પ્રહિણસ્તિ - strikes; torments
શરીરિણઃ - embodied beings
વિપદિ - in misfortune; in adversity
હંત - alas
સુધા - nectar
અપિ - even
વિષં - poison
આયતે - becomes
વિષાયતે - becomes poison

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
With its melodious calls - and with the Malaya winds - the cuckoo makes even sweet things sweeter; but it torments the love-lorn. Alas, in adversity, even nectar turns into poison.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse is about context: the same stimulus can feel like medicine or like torture depending on the heart's condition. A song, a fragrance, or a festival can be joy for one person and pain for another who is in વિરહ (separation). In ordinary situations, this is why after a breakup even "happy places" can feel heavy. The practical અનુસંધાન is compassion and patience: reduce triggers while healing, do not force yourself to "be fine", and gradually create new associations through supportive routines and friendships.

A helpful way to apply this is: A season changes the outer world and the inner weather. Pay attention to that inner weather. If you are lonely, a rainy night can push you into old loops; if you are content, it can become poetry. Build small practices that keep you grounded - sleep, movement, and a little silence.

આવાસઃ કિલકિંચિતસ્ય દયિતાપાર્શ્વે વિલાસાલસાઃ
કર્ણે કોકિલકામિનીકલરવઃ સ્મેરો લતામંડપઃ ।
ગોષ્ઠી સત્કવિભિઃ સમં કતિપયૈર્મુગ્ધાઃ સુધાંશોઃ કરાઃ
કેષાંચિત્સુખયંતિ ચાત્ર હૃદયં ચૈત્રે વિચિત્રાઃ ક્ષપાઃ ॥ 2.83 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
આવાસઃ - dwelling; staying
કિલકિંચિતસ્ય - of playful soft sounds/gestures (કિલકિંચિત)
દયિતા - beloved
પાર્શ્વે - by the side
દયિતાપાર્શ્વે - by the beloved's side
વિલાસ - play; amorous sport
અલસાઃ - languid; relaxed
વિલાસાલસાઃ - languid with play
કર્ણે - in the ear
કોકિલા - cuckoo
કામિની - female; beloved
કલરવઃ - melodious call
કોકિલકામિનીકલરવઃ - the melodious call of the female cuckoo
સ્મેરઃ - smiling
લતા - vine
મંડપઃ - pavilion
લતામંડપઃ - vine-pavilion
ગોષ્ઠી - gathering; conversation circle
સત્ - good
કવિભિઃ - with poets
સત્કવિભિઃ - with good poets
સમં - together
કતિપયૈઃ - with a few
મુગ્ધાઃ - gentle; soft; charming
સુધા - nectar
અંશુઃ - ray
સુધાંશુઃ - the nectar-rayed one (the moon)
સુધાંશોઃ - of the moon
કરાઃ - rays
કેષાંચિત્ - for some
સુખયંતિ - make happy; gladden
ચ - and
અત્ર - here
હ્઱્દયં - heart
ચૈત્રે - in the month of Chaitra (spring)
વિચિત્રાઃ - varied; charming
ક્ષપાઃ - nights

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
For some, these charming Chaitra nights gladden the heart: staying by the beloved's side amid playful murmurs, languid in love's play; the female cuckoo's call in the ear; a smiling vine-pavilion; a gathering with good poets and a few friends; and the soft rays of the nectar-moon.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse shows that happiness is often a crafted atmosphere: companionship, beauty, art, and unhurried time. In practical terms, the same elements appear as a quiet evening with someone you love, music that feels intimate, or a circle of friends where conversation is nourishing. The practical અનુસંધાન is to create such spaces deliberately and ethically: choose relationships that deepen trust, avoid distractions that fragment attention, and let pleasure be connected to presence rather than to excess.

To carry this wisely: Such verses also teach that pleasure is relational: fragrance, sound, and moonlight become delightful when the heart is open. If the heart is closed, the same stimuli irritate. So care for the heart: reduce resentment, practice forgiveness, and keep gratitude alive.

પાંથ સ્ત્રીવિરહાનલાહુતિકલાં આતન્વતી મંજરીમાકંદેષુ
પિકાંગનાભિરધુના સોત્કંઠં આલોક્યતે ।
અપ્યેતે નવપાટલાપરિમલપ્રાગ્ભારપાટચ્ચરા
વાંતિક્લાંતિવિતાનતાનવકૃતઃ શ્રીખંડશૈલાનિલાઃ ॥ 2.84 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
પાંથ - traveler
સ્ત્રી - wife; beloved woman
વિરહઃ - separation
અનલઃ - fire
સ્ત્રીવિરહાનલઃ - the fire of separation from the beloved
આહુતિ - oblation
કલા - art; skill
આહુતિકલાં - the art of offering oblations
સ્ત્રીવિરહાનલાહુતિકલાં - the art of offering oblations into the fire of separation
આતન્વતી - spreading; performing; extending
મંજરી - blossom cluster
માકંદઃ - mango tree
માકંદેષુ - in mango trees
પિક - cuckoo
અંગના - woman
પિકાંગનાઃ - female cuckoos
પિકાંગનાભિઃ - by female cuckoos
અધુના - now
સોત્કંઠં - with longing
આલોક્યતે - is looked at; is seen
અપિ - even
એતે - these
નવ - new
પાટલા - the પાટલા flower
પરિમલઃ - fragrance
પ્રાગ્ભારઃ - heavy load; excess
પાટચ્ચરાઃ - roaming about; moving around
નવપાટલાપરિમલ્પ્રાગ્ભારપાટચ્ચરાઃ - roaming about bearing the heavy load of fresh પાટલા fragrance
વાંતિ - blow
ક્લાંતિઃ - fatigue; weariness
વિતાનઃ - canopy; spread
તાનઃ - stretching; extension
વકૃતઃ - cutting off; removing
ક્લાંતિવિતાનતાનવકૃતઃ - removing the stretched canopy of fatigue (relieving weariness)
શ્રીખંડ - sandalwood
સૈલઃ - mountain
અનિલઃ - wind
શ્રીખંડશૈલાનિલાઃ - the winds from the sandalwood hill

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
O traveler, now the mango blossom-clusters are seen with longing by the female cuckoos, as if they were an offering into the fire of separation. And these sandalwood-mountain winds, roaming about laden with the heavy fragrance of fresh spring blossoms, blow and relieve the spread of weariness.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
This verse mixes beauty with pain: spring comforts the body and simultaneously sharpens longing. In the way we live now, travel or distance can do the same - a beautiful place can still feel empty when someone important is missing. The practical અનુસંધાન is to recognize the mind's double movement: allow the ache of વિરહ (separation) without dramatizing it, and also let nature and rest genuinely restore you, so you return to your responsibilities and relationships with steadier energy.

A mature reading suggests: Let nature's beauty remind you of balance. Seasons come and go; moods also come and go. When you learn to enjoy without clinging, you gain both joy and freedom. That is the quiet wisdom hidden inside these descriptions.

પ્રથિતઃ પ્રણયવતીનાં
તાવત્પદં આતનોતુ હૃદિ માનઃ ।
ભવતિ ન યાવચ્ચંદનતરુ
સુરભિર્મલયપવમાનઃ ॥ 2.85 ॥

છંદઃ (માત્રા-ચંદસ્): This is in a માત્રા-based Chandas/Meter (not a fixed અક્ષર-count વૃત્ત): in this verse, the written segments carry approximately 13 + 19 + 15 + 13 માત્રાઃ (total 60); treat લઘુ=1 માત્રા and ગુરુ=2 માત્રાઃ, and keep the natural pauses at the segment ends marked by `।`/`॥` (do not confuse દંડ with internal યતિ).

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
પ્રથિતઃ - well-known; established
પ્રણયઃ - love; affection
પ્રણયવતીનાં - of loving women
તાવત્ - so long
પદં - place; foothold
આતનોતુ - may take; may assume
હૃદિ - in the heart
માનઃ - pride; sulkiness (lover's offended pride)
ભવતિ - becomes; is
ન - not
યાવત્ - until
ચંદન - sandalwood
તરુઃ - tree
ચંદનતરુ - sandalwood tree
સુરભિઃ - fragrant
મલય - Malaya mountain
પવમાનઃ - wind
મલયપવમાનઃ - the Malaya breeze

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
The pride/sulking of loving women holds its place in the heart only until the Malaya breeze becomes fragrant with sandalwood trees.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
In શૃંગાર, માન (the lover's proud "sulk") is not hatred; it is part of intimacy's rhythm. The verse says even that pride melts when the atmosphere turns soft and fragrant. At home and at work, timing matters similarly: a difficult conversation goes better when both people are rested and the environment is calm. The practical અનુસંધાન is to de-escalate first - lower stress, speak gently, and let warmth return - then resolve the issue without turning it into a power struggle.

સહકારકુસુમકેસરનિકર
ભરામોદમૂર્ચ્છિતદિગ્અંતે ।
મધુરમધુરવિધુરમધુપે
મધૌ ભવેત્કસ્ય નોત્કંઠા ॥ 2.86 ॥

છંદઃ (માત્રા-ચંદસ્): This is in a માત્રા-based Chandas/Meter (not a fixed અક્ષર-count વૃત્ત): in this verse, the written segments carry approximately 16 + 15 + 17 + 16 માત્રાઃ (total 64); treat લઘુ=1 માત્રા and ગુરુ=2 માત્રાઃ, and keep the natural pauses at the segment ends marked by `।`/`॥` (do not confuse દંડ with internal યતિ).

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
સહકાર - mango tree
કુસુમં - flower
કેસરઃ - pollen; stamen
નિકરઃ - heap; cluster
સહકારકુસુમકેસરનિકરઃ - clusters of mango blossoms and pollen
ભરા - load; weight
આમોદઃ - fragrance
ભરામોદઃ - heavy fragrance
મૂર્ચ્છિત - swooned; intoxicated
દિગ્ - direction
અંતઃ - end; quarter
દિગંતે - in the directions/quarters
દિગ્અંતે - in the directions (verse join)
ભરામોદમૂર્ચ્છિતદિગંતે - when the quarters are intoxicated by heavy fragrance
મધુરં - sweetly
મધુર - sweet
વિધુરં - plaintively; piteously
મધુપઃ - bee
મધુપે - O bee
મધુરમધુરવિધુરમધુપે - O bee, sweetly-sweetly and plaintively (your humming)
મધૌ - in spring (મધુ season)
ભવેત્ - would be
કસ્ય - of whom
ન - not
ઉત્કંઠા - longing; yearning

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
When the quarters are intoxicated by the heavy fragrance of clusters of mango blossoms and pollen, and when the bee hums sweetly and plaintively, who would not feel yearning in spring?

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse describes how the senses are "tuned" by the environment: spring fragrances and sounds naturally intensify ઉત્કંઠા (yearning). These days, the same is true of certain places, music, or memories - they can amplify longing instantly. The practical અનુસંધાન is to use this wisely: choose environments that support wholesome love and creativity, and be cautious of settings that predictably push you toward impulsive choices.

From a broader perspective: A season changes the outer world and the inner weather. Pay attention to that inner weather. If you are lonely, a rainy night can push you into old loops; if you are content, it can become poetry. Build small practices that keep you grounded - sleep, movement, and a little silence.

અચ્છાચ્છચંદનરસાર્દ્રતરા મૃગાક્ષ્યો
ધારાગૃહાણિ કુસુમાનિ ચ કૌમુદી ચ ।
મંદો મરુત્સુમનસઃ શુચિ હર્મ્યપૃષ્ઠં
ગ્રીષ્મે મદં ચ મદનં ચ વિવર્ધયંતિ ॥ 2.87 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
અચ્છાચ્છ - very clear; very clean
ચંદન - sandalwood
રસઃ - juice; paste
આર્દ્ર - moist
તરા - more (comparative)
ચંદન - sandalwood
રસાર્દ્રતરાઃ - more moist with sandalwood paste
મૃગાક્ષ્યઃ - doe-eyed women
ધારા - stream; jet
ગૃહં - house; pavilion
ધારાગૃહાણિ - water-pavilions; shower-houses
કુસુમાનિ - flowers
ચ - and
કૌમુદી - moonlight; moonlit night
ચ - and
મંદઃ - gentle
મરુત્ - wind
સુમનસઃ - flowers
મરુત્સુમનસઃ - winds and flowers
શુચિ - clean
હર્મ્ય - palace; mansion
પૃષ્ઠં - terrace; roof
હર્મ્યપૃષ્ઠં - the mansion-terrace
ગ્રીષ્મે - in summer
મદં - intoxication
ચ - and
મદનં - desire; Cupid
ચ - and
વિવર્ધયંતિ - increase; intensify

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
In summer, doe-eyed women made even more moist with clear sandalwood paste, water-pavilions, flowers and moonlight, gentle winds, and clean mansion-terraces - all intensify intoxication and desire.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
Bhartruhari notes a simple truth: comfort and sensuous atmosphere can intensify craving. When you look around today, the same happens when we are relaxed, surrounded by beauty, and feeling physically good - desire feels stronger and self-control can weaken. The practical અનુસંધાન is balance: enjoy pleasures without letting them dictate decisions; keep your commitments and boundaries steady, especially in settings where the senses are strongly stimulated.

On a subtler level: Such verses also teach that pleasure is relational: fragrance, sound, and moonlight become delightful when the heart is open. If the heart is closed, the same stimuli irritate. So care for the heart: reduce resentment, practice forgiveness, and keep gratitude alive.

સ્રજો હૃદ્યામોદા વ્યજનપવનશ્ચંદ્રકિરણાઃ
પરાગઃ કાસારો મલયજરજઃ શીધુ વિશદમ્ ।
શુચિઃ સૌધોત્સંગઃ પ્રતનુ વસનં પંકજદૃશો
નિદાઘઋતાવેતદ્વિલસતિ લભંતે સુકૃતિનઃ ॥ 2.88 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
સ્રજાઃ - garlands
હ્઱્દિ - in the heart
આમોદઃ - fragrance
હ્઱્દ્યામોદાઃ - pleasing fragrance
વ્યજનં - fan
પવનઃ - breeze
વ્યજનપવનઃ - fan-breeze
ચંદ્ર - moon
કિરણાઃ - rays
ચંદ્રકિરણાઃ - moon-rays
પરાગઃ - pollen
કાસારઃ - lake; lotus-pond
મલય - Malaya mountain
જ - born from
રજઃ - dust; powder
મલયજરજઃ - sandalwood-dust (from Malaya)
સીધુ - wine; fermented drink
વિશદં - clear; pure
શુચિઃ - clean; pure
સૌધઃ - mansion
ઉત્સંગઃ - lap; ledge; terrace-seat
સૌધોત્સંગઃ - the clean ledge/terrace of a mansion
પ્રતનુ - thin; delicate
વસનં - garment
પંકજ - lotus
દૃશ્ - eye; sight
પંકજદૃશઃ - of the lotus-eyed woman
નિદાઘ - summer
ઋતૌ - in the season
એતદ્ - this
વિલસતિ - sport; delight
લભંતે - obtain; enjoy
સુકૃતિનઃ - the meritorious; the fortunate

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
In the summer season, the fortunate enjoy these delights: garlands with pleasing fragrance, fan-breezes, moon-rays, pollen, lotus-ponds, sandalwood dust from Malaya, clear wine, the clean ledge of a mansion, and the thin garment of a lotus-eyed beloved.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse is a catalogue of "cooling" pleasures - things that soothe the body and, by that very soothing, make sensual enjoyment easier. In daily interactions, comfort and luxury can either become healthy rest or become a slippery slope into excess. The practical અનુસંધાન is to enjoy comfort with awareness: let it restore you, not numb you; and remember that the mind can become dependent on external arrangements unless it also learns inner contentment.

A gentle practice is: Let nature's beauty remind you of balance. Seasons come and go; moods also come and go. When you learn to enjoy without clinging, you gain both joy and freedom. That is the quiet wisdom hidden inside these descriptions.

સુધાશુભ્રં ધામ સ્ફુરદ્અમલરશ્મિઃ શશધરઃ
પ્રિયાવક્ત્રાંભોજં મલયજરજશ્ચાતિસુરભિઃ ।
સ્રજો હૃદ્યામોદાસ્તદિદં અખિલં રાગિણિ જને
કરોત્યંતઃ ક્ષોભં ન તુ વિષયસંસર્ગવિમુખે ॥ 2.89 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
સુધા - nectar
શુભ્રં - white; bright
ધામ - radiance; light
સુધાશુભ્રં ધામ - nectar-white radiance
સ્ફુરદ્ - shining
અમલ - spotless; pure
રશ્મિઃ - ray
સ્ફુરદ્અમલરશ્મિઃ - shining with pure rays (verse join)
શશધરઃ - the moon
પ્રિયા - beloved
વક્ત્રં - face
અંબુજં - lotus
પ્રિયાવક્ત્રાંભોજં - the beloved's lotus-face
મલયજ - sandalwood
રજઃ - dust
અતિ - very
સુરભિઃ - fragrant
મલયજરજઃ - sandalwood dust
ચાતિસુરભિઃ - very fragrant
સ્રજાઃ - garlands
હ્઱્દ્યામોદાઃ - pleasing fragrance
તદ્ - that
ઇદં - this
અખિલં - all; entire
રાગિણિ - in one full of passion
જને - in a person
કરોતિ - makes
અંતઃ - within
ક્ષોભં - agitation; disturbance
ન - not
તુ - but
વિષય - sense-objects
સંસર્ગઃ - contact; association
વિમુખે - in one turned away; detached

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
The moon's nectar-bright radiance, the beloved's lotus-face, the very fragrant sandalwood dust, and garlands with pleasing scent - all this creates intense inner agitation in a passionate person, but not in one who has turned away from sense-objects.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse makes a subtle psychological point: the world does not "do" the same thing to everyone. The same moonlight that stirs longing in one mind can be simply beautiful and quiet for another mind that is વિમુખ (turned away) from craving. In common experience, this is why the best change is internal: when attachment loosens, triggers lose power. From an અદ્વૈત (non-duality) angle, reducing રાગ (clinging) and દ્વેષ (aversion) makes perception clearer and less agitated.

One more layer is this: Here ભર્તૃહરિ hints that perception is colored by desire and clarified by વિવેક. This is central to અદ્વૈત: the mind projects, and freedom begins when projection is seen. A simple practice is to watch your own stories and ask, "What am I adding to what is happening?" That question loosens obsession.

તરુણીવેષોદ્દીપિતકામા
વિકસજ્જાતીપુષ્પસુગંધિઃ ।
ઉન્નતપીનપયોધરભારા
પ્રાવૃટ્તનુતે કસ્ય ન હર્ષમ્ ॥ 2.90 ॥

છંદઃ (માત્રા-ચંદસ્): This is in a માત્રા-based Chandas/Meter (not a fixed અક્ષર-count વૃત્ત): in this verse, the written segments carry approximately 16 + 16 + 16 + 16 માત્રાઃ (total 64); treat લઘુ=1 માત્રા and ગુરુ=2 માત્રાઃ, and keep the natural pauses at the segment ends marked by `।`/`॥` (do not confuse દંડ with internal યતિ).

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
તરુણી - young woman
વેષઃ - attire; dress
ઉદ્દીપિત - kindled; intensified
કામઃ - desire
તરુણીવેષોદ્દીપિતકામા - desire kindled by young women's attire
વિકસત્ - blooming
જાતી - jasmine
પુષ્પં - flower
સુગંધિઃ - fragrant
વિકસજ્જાતીપુષ્પસુગંધિઃ - fragrant with blooming jasmine flowers
ઉન્નત - high
પીન - full
પયોધરઃ - breast
ભારઃ - weight; burden
ઉન્નતપીનપયોધરભારા - with the burden of high, full breasts
પ્રાવૃટ્ - the rainy season
તનુતે - produces; spreads
કસ્ય - for whom
ન - not
હર્ષં - joy

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
The rainy season - with desire kindled by young women's attire, fragrant with blooming jasmine, and heavy with the fullness of their breasts - produces joy for whom does it not?

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
Bhartruhari links પ્રાવૃટ્ (monsoon) with romance: clouds, fragrance, and closeness make desire feel natural and widespread. In contemporary life, seasons and settings still shape behavior - rainy evenings can make people nostalgic, intimate, and more impulsive. The practical અનુસંધાન is to let the mood deepen connection, not lower ethics: enjoy romance with clarity, consent, and responsibility, so that seasonal emotion becomes sweetness rather than regret.

વિયદ્ઉપચિતમેઘં ભૂમયઃ કંદલિન્યો
નવકુટજકદંબામોદિનો ગંધવાહાઃ ।
શિખિકુલકલકેકારાવરમ્યા વનાંતાઃ
સુખિનં અસુખિનં વા સર્વં ઉત્કંઠયંતિ ॥ 2.91 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
વિયત્ - sky
ઉપચિત - filled; accumulated
મેઘં - cloud(s)
વિયદ્ઉપચિતમેઘં - the sky filled with clouds (verse join)
ભૂમયઃ - the earth; grounds
કંદલ - fresh shoot; sprout
કંદલિન્યાઃ - full of shoots/sprouts
નવ - new
કુટજ - the કુટજ tree
કદંબ - the કદંબ tree
આમોદિનઃ - fragrant; perfuming
નવકુટજકદંબામોદિનાઃ - fragrant with new કુટજ and કદંબ
ગંધવાહાઃ - winds (bearers of fragrance)
શિખિ - peacock
કુલં - group
શિખિકુલં - flocks of peacocks
કલકલઃ - chattering sound; noisy calls
એકારાવઃ - a single cry/call
રમ્યાઃ - charming
શિખિકુલકલકેકારાવરમ્યાઃ - charming with peacocks' calls and chatter
વનાંતાઃ - forest-groves
સુખિનં - the happy one
અસુખિનં - the unhappy one
વા - or
સર્વં - everyone
ઉત્કંઠયંતિ - stir longing; make eager

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
Cloud-filled skies, earth thick with new shoots, winds perfumed by fresh blossoms, and forests made lovely by peacocks' calls - all these stir yearning in everyone, happy or unhappy.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
This verse says some moods are "in the air". In monsoon, nature becomes dramatic and sensual, and even people who feel fine can suddenly feel ઉત્કંઠા (yearning). In everyday life, weather and music can work similarly: a rainy evening can make you nostalgic, romantic, or restless without any clear reason. The practical અનુસંધાન is to notice the mood as a wave, not as a command - enjoy it, express it creatively, but do not let it push you into choices that you will regret.

ઉપરિ ઘનં ઘનપટલં
તિર્યગ્ગિરયોઽપિ નર્તિતમયૂરાઃ ।
ક્ષિતિરપિ કંદલધવલા
દૃષ્ટિં પથિકઃ ક્વ પાતયતિ ॥ 2.92 ॥

છંદઃ (માત્રા-ચંદસ્): This is in a માત્રા-based Chandas/Meter (not a fixed અક્ષર-count વૃત્ત): in this verse, the written segments carry approximately 12 + 18 + 13 + 16 માત્રાઃ (total 59); treat લઘુ=1 માત્રા and ગુરુ=2 માત્રાઃ, and keep the natural pauses at the segment ends marked by `।`/`॥` (do not confuse દંડ with internal યતિ).

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
ઉપરિ - above
ઘનં - dense; massed
ઘન - cloud
પટલં - layer; mass
ઘનપટલં - mass of clouds
તિર્યક્ - sideways
ગિરયઃ - mountains
અપિ - even; also (verse: ગિરયોઽપિ = ગિરયઃ + અપિ)
નર્તિત - dancing
મયૂરાઃ - peacocks
ક્ષિતિઃ - the earth
અપિ - also
કંદલ - sprouts; shoots
ધવલા - white; pale
કંદલધવલા - pale with fresh shoots
દૃષ્ટિં - gaze
પથિકઃ - traveler
ક્વ - where
પાતયતિ - casts; drops

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
Above is a dense mass of clouds; sideways, even the mountains have dancing peacocks; the earth too is pale with fresh shoots - where does the traveler cast his gaze?

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse is about being surrounded by beauty: attention wants to jump everywhere. In day-to-day living, we can feel the same in a new city, a festival, or even a "feed" full of stimuli - the eyes do not know where to rest. The practical અનુસંધાન is to slow down and savor one thing at a time. Pleasure becomes deeper when attention is steady, not scattered.

ઇતો વિદ્યુદ્વલ્લીવિલસિતં ઇતઃ કેતકિતરોઃ
સ્ફુરન્ગંધઃ પ્રોદ્યજ્જલદનિનદસ્ફૂર્જિતં ઇતઃ ।
ઇતઃ કેકિક્રીડાકલકલરવઃ પક્ષ્મલદૃશાં
કથં યાસ્યંત્યેતે વિરહદિવસાઃ સંભૃતરસાઃ ॥ 2.93 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
ઇતઃ - here; from this side
વિદ્યુત્ - lightning
વલ્લી - creeper; vine
વિલસિતં - flashing play
વિદ્યુદ્વલ્લીવિલસિતં - the play of lightning-vines
ઇતઃ - here
કેતકી - the કેતકી plant
તરુઃ - tree
કેતકિતરોઃ - of the કેતકી tree
સ્ફુરત્ - throbbing; spreading
ગંધઃ - fragrance
સ્ફુરન્ગંધઃ - spreading fragrance
પ્રોદ્યત્ - rising; swelling
જલદઃ - cloud
નિનદઃ - sound; roar
સ્ફૂર્જિતં - thunderous roar
જલદનિનદસ્ફૂર્જિતં - the thunder-roar of clouds
ઇતઃ - here
કેકિ - peacock
ક્રીડા - play
કલકલઃ - noisy chatter
રવઃ - sound
કેકિક્રીડાકલકલરવઃ - the noisy calls of peacocks at play
પક્ષ્મલ - long-lashed
દૃશાં - of the eyes; of the doe-eyed women
પક્ષ્મલદૃશાં - of the long-lashed (women)
કથં - how
યાસ્યંતિ - will pass; will go
એતે - these
વિરહ - separation
દિનસાઃ - days
વિરહદિનસાઃ - days of separation
સંભૃત - full; heaped up
રસઃ - feeling; emotion
સંભૃતરસાઃ - full of intense feeling

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
Here the lightning-vine flashes; here fragrant blossoms spread their scent; here the swelling thunder of clouds; here the noisy calls of peacocks at play - how will these days of separation pass for the long-lashed ones, full of longing?

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse explains why certain seasons make loneliness feel sharper: they are full of sensory reminders. In our daily routines, this is why a rainy playlist, a smell, or a place can suddenly reopen longing - the mind links stimuli with memory. The practical અનુસંધાન is to work with triggers: if you are healing, reduce exposure; if you are in a long-distance bond, use the same triggers intentionally (a shared song, a planned call) to convert longing into connection rather than rumination.

If you want this verse to uplift you: These seasonal images show how mood is shaped by climate. When you feel more restless or nostalgic, treat it as a natural rhythm, not as a command. Use it to deepen appreciation: be kinder, write more, reach out more. But do not let mood drive reckless choices; let it become beauty with discipline.

અસૂચિસંચારે તમસિ નભસિ પ્રૌઢજલદધ્વનિપ્રયે
તસ્મિન્ પતતિ દૃશદાં નીરનિચયે ।
ઇદં સૌદામિન્યાઃ કનકકમનીયં વિલસિતં
મુદં ચ ગ્લાનિં ચ પ્રથયતિ પથિષ્વેવ સુદૃશામ્ ॥ 2.94 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
અસૂચિ - needle(-like)
સંચારઃ - movement; roaming
અસૂચિસંચારે - where needle-like streaks move (rain-streaks)
તમસિ - in darkness
નભસિ - in the sky
પ્રૌઢ - dense; intense
જલદઃ - cloud
ધ્વનિઃ - sound; thunder
પ્રાયઃ - mostly; filled with
ધ્વનિપ્રયે - filled with thunder
તસ્મિન્ - in that
પતતિ - falls
દૃશદ્ - stone; hail
દૃશદાં - of hailstones
નીર - water
નિચયઃ - heap; collection
નીરનિચયે - in the collection/pool of water
ઇદં - this
સૌદામિની - lightning
સૌદામિન્યાઃ - of lightning
કનક - gold
કમનીયં - charming; beautiful
વિલસિતં - flash; play; shining
મુદં - joy
ચ - and
ગ્લાનિં - fatigue; weariness
ચ - and
પ્રથયતિ - spreads; produces
પથિષુ - on the roads
એવ - indeed
સુદૃશાં - of beautiful-eyed women

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
In the dark sky where needle-like streaks move, filled with the thunder of dense clouds, and where hail and water fall into pools, this golden-beautiful flash of lightning produces both joy and weariness in the beautiful-eyed women on the road.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse captures mixed emotion: a storm can be thrilling and also tiring. In today's relationships, intense experiences often produce both - excitement and exhaustion, joy and a kind of ગ્લાનિ (weariness). The practical અનુસંધાન is to respect that blend: after high stimulation, rest and ground yourself, so that beauty does not turn into burnout.

આસારેણ ન હર્મ્યતઃ પ્રિયતમૈર્યાતું બહિઃ શક્યતે
શીતોત્કંપનિમિત્તં આયતદૃશા ગાઢં સમાલિંગ્યતે ।
જાતાઃ શીકરશીતલાશ્ચ મરુતોરત્યંતખેદચ્છિદો
ધન્યાનાં બત દુર્દિનં સુદિનતાં યાતિ પ્રિયાસંગમે ॥ 2.95 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
આસારઃ - rain; shower
આસારેણ - because of rain
ન - not
હર્મ્યતઃ - from the mansion
પ્રિયતમૈઃ - by/with beloved ones
યાતું - to go
બહિઃ - outside
શક્યતે - is possible
શીત - cold
ઉત્કંપઃ - shivering
નિમિત્તં - cause
શીતોત્કંપનિમિત્તં - because of shivering from cold
આયત - long
દૃશા - by the long-eyed woman
ગાઢં - tightly
સમાલિંગ્યતે - is embraced
જાતાઃ - become
શીકરઃ - spray; mist
શીતલાઃ - cool
ચ - and
મરુતઃ - winds
અત્યંત - extremely
ખેદઃ - fatigue; distress
ચ્છિદઃ - cutting; removing
અત્યંતખેદચ્છિદઃ - removing great fatigue
ધન્યાનાં - of the fortunate
બત - indeed; alas
દુર્દિનં - a gloomy/bad day
સુદિનતાં - becomes a good day
યાતિ - goes; becomes
પ્રિયા - beloved
સંગમઃ - union; meeting
પ્રિયાસંગમે - in union with the beloved

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
Because of rain, the beloveds cannot go outside from the mansion. Shivering from cold, the long-eyed beloved is held in a tight embrace; the winds, cooled by spray, cut away fatigue. For the fortunate, a gloomy rainy day becomes a good day in the union of lovers.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
This verse is about turning constraint into closeness. When the world forces a pause, lovers can use it to be present with one another. In real-world settings, a storm that cancels plans can become an evening of warmth, conversation, and repair - if we choose it. The practical અનુસંધાન is to create "good days" not only by external events, but by how we meet the moment: attention, kindness, and shared time.

અર્ધં સુપ્ત્વા નિશાયાઃ સરભસસુરતાયાસસન્નશ્લથાંગપ્રોદ્ભૂતાસહ્ય
તૃષ્ણો મધુમદનિરતો હર્મ્યપૃષ્ઠે વિવિક્તે ।
સંભોગક્લાંતકાંતાશિથિલભુજલતાવર્જિતં કર્કરીતો
જ્યોત્સ્નાભિન્નાચ્છધારં પિબતિ ન સલિલં શારદં મંદપુણ્યઃ ॥ 2.96 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
અર્ધં - half
સુપ્ત્વા - having slept
નિશાયાઃ - of the night
સરભસ - hurried; impetuous
સુરતં - lovemaking; intimacy
આયાસઃ - exertion; fatigue
આયાસસન્નઃ - exhausted by exertion
શ્લથ - slack
અંગઃ - limbs
સન્નશ્લથાંગઃ - limbs grown slack from exhaustion
પ્રોદ્ભૂત - arisen
અસહ્ય - unbearable
તૃષ્ણા - thirst
પ્રોદ્ભૂતાસહ્ય તૃષ્ણા - unbearable thirst that has arisen
મધુ - wine; intoxicant
મદનઃ - Cupid; desire
મધુ મદન - wine and desire
મધુમદનિરતઃ - given to wine and desire
હર્મ્ય - mansion
પૃષ્ઠં - terrace; roof
હર્મ્યપૃષ્ઠે - on the mansion-terrace
વિવિક્તે - in solitude
સંભોગઃ - union; enjoyment
ક્લાંતા - tired
કાંતા - beloved woman
શિથિલ - slack
ભુજઃ - arm
લતા - creeper; vine
બુજલતા - arm-vines
આવર્જિતં - drawn around; encircling
સંભોગક્લાંતકાંતાશિથિલભુજલતાવર્જિતં - embraced by the beloved's slack arms after union
કર્કરી - a water-vessel/pitcher
ઇતઃ - from
કર્કરીતો - from the કર્કરી
જ્યોત્સ્ના - moonlight
ભિન્ન - split; broken by
અચ્છ - clear
ધારા - stream
જ્યોત્સ્નાભિન્નાચ્છધારં - a clear stream broken by moonlight
પિબતિ - drinks
ન - not
સલિલં - water
શારદં - autumnal
મંદ - little
પુણ્યઃ - merit; good fortune
મંદપુણ્યઃ - of little fortune; unfortunate

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
After sleeping half the night, limbs slack from the fatigue of hurried lovemaking, unbearable thirst arises. Given to wine and desire, alone on the mansion-terrace, the "unfortunate" man does not drink the autumn water - a clear stream split by moonlight, poured from a water-pitcher - because he is held in an embrace by the beloved's tired, slack arms.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
This verse is playful irony: he has water in front of him and still cannot drink, because love has "captured" him. In lived experience, we also miss simple, nourishing things because we are caught in an absorbing experience - sometimes beautiful, sometimes addictive. The practical અનુસંધાન is to keep balance: let intimacy be deep, but also take care of basic needs (sleep, health, clarity) so pleasure does not become depletion.

હેમંતે દધિદુગ્ધસર્પિરશના માંજિષ્ઠવાસોભૃતઃ
કાશ્મીરદ્રવસાંદ્રદિગ્ધવપુષશ્છિન્ના વિચિત્રૈ રતૈઃ ।
વૃત્તોરુસ્તનકામિનોજનકૃતાશ્લેષા ગૃહાભ્યંતરે
તાંબૂલીદલપૂગપૂરિતમુખા ધન્યાઃ સુખં શેરતે ॥ 2.97 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
હેમંતે - in winter
દધિ - curd
દુગ્ધ - milk
સર્પિઃ - ghee
અશના - eating
દધિદુગ્ધસર્પિરશના - eating curd, milk, and ghee
માંજિષ્ઠ - red dye (માંજિષ્ઠ)
વાસઃ - garments
ભૃતઃ - wearing
માંજિષ્ઠવાસોભૃતઃ - wearing માંજિષ્ઠ-colored garments
કાશ્મીર - saffron/Kashmir
દ્રવઃ - liquid; paste
સાંદ્ર - thick
દિગ્ધ - smeared
વપુષઃ - bodies
કાશ્મીરદ્રવસાંદ્રદિગ્ધવપુષઃ - bodies smeared with thick saffron paste
ચિન્નાઃ - ended; spent
વિચિત્રૈઃ - with various
રતૈઃ - acts of love; pleasures
વૃત્ત - round
ઊરુઃ - thigh
સ્તનઃ - breast
કામિની - woman
જનઃ - person
કૃતઃ - made; done
આશ્લેષઃ - embrace
વૃત્તોરુસ્તનકામિનોજનકૃતાશ્લેષાઃ - those who have embraced women with round thighs and breasts
ગૃહ - house
અભ્યંતરઃ - inside
ગૃહાભ્યંતરે - inside the house
તાંબૂલી - betel leaf
દલં - leaf
પૂગઃ - areca nut
પૂરિત - filled
મુખા - mouths
તાંબૂલીદલપૂગપૂરિતમુખાઃ - mouths filled with betel leaves and areca
ધન્યાઃ - the fortunate
સુખં - happily
શેરતે - lie down; sleep

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
In winter, the fortunate - eating curd, milk, and ghee; wearing deep red garments; bodies smeared with thick saffron paste; their pleasures spent in varied lovemaking and embraces of women with round thighs and breasts; mouths filled with betel leaf and areca - sleep happily inside the house.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse describes warmth, luxury, and intimacy as a seasonal rhythm: when it is cold outside, people seek heat and closeness within. In ordinary situations, winter often increases "nesting" - home, comfort food, and private connection. The practical અનુસંધાન is moderation: enjoy warmth and intimacy, but keep health in mind and avoid turning comfort into excess that leaves the body and mind dull.

પ્રદુયત્પ્રૌઢપ્રિયંગુદ્યુતિભૃતિ વિકસત્કુંદમાદ્યદ્દ્વિરેફે
કાલે પ્રાલેયવાતપ્રચલવિલસિતોદારમંદારધામ્નિ ।
યેષાં નો કંઠલગ્ના ક્ષણં અપિ તુહિનક્ષોદદક્ષા મૃગાક્ષી
તેસાં આયામયામા યમસદનસમા યામિની યાતિ યૂનામ્ ॥ 2.98 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
પ્રદુયત્ - shining
પ્રૌઢ - full; intense
પ્રિયંગુ - the પ્રિયંગુ plant/flower
દ્યુતિઃ - radiance
ભૃતિઃ - bearing
પ્રિયંગુદ્યુતિભૃતિ - bearing the radiance of પ્રિયંગુ
વિકસત્ - blooming
કુંદ - કુંદ flower
માદ્યત્ - intoxicating; maddening
દ્વિરેપઃ - bee ("two-drinker")
માદ્યદ્દ્વિરેપે - where bees are intoxicated
કાલે - in the season/time
પ્રાલેય - frost; snow
વાતઃ - wind
પ્રચલ - moving; shaking
વિલસિતં - play; swaying
ઓદાર - splendid
મંદાર - the મંદાર tree
ધામન્ - abode; region
મંદારધામ્નિ - in the region of મંદાર
પ્રાલેયવાતપ્રચલવિલસિતોદારમંદારધામ્નિ - in the splendid મંદાર groves swaying in the frosty wind
યેષાં - of those (for whom)
ન - not
ઉ - indeed; even
નો - not indeed (poetic)
કંઠઃ - neck
લગ્ના - clinging
ક્ષણં - a moment
અપિ - even
તુહિન - frost; snow
ક્ષોદઃ - rubbing; crushing
દક્ષા - skilled
તુહિનક્ષોદદક્ષા - skilled at rubbing away the cold
મૃગાક્ષી - doe-eyed woman
તેસાં - for those
આયામઃ - long
યામા - night (watch)
આયામયામા - the long night
યમ - Yama (lord of death)
સદનં - abode; house
સમા - like
યમસદનસમા - like Yama's abode
યામિની - night
યાતિ - goes; passes
યૂનાં - for youths

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
In the season when blossoms glow, bees grow intoxicated, and splendid groves sway in the frosty wind - for those youths whose doe-eyed beloved, skilled at rubbing away the cold, does not cling to their neck even for a moment, the long night passes like death's abode.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse says absence is not abstract; it is felt in the body. Cold makes the need for warmth immediate, so separation feels harsher. In practical terms, loneliness often intensifies at night, in winter, or during quiet moments when there is no distraction. The practical અનુસંધાન is to not romanticize suffering: build support, routines, and honest connection, so that longing does not turn into despair.

ચુંબંતો ગંડભિત્તીરલકવતિ મુખે સીત્કૃતાન્યાદધાના
વક્ષઃસૂત્કંચુકેષુ સ્તનભરપુલકોદ્ભેદં આપાદયંતઃ ।
ઊરૂનાકંપયંતઃ પૃથુજઘનતટાત્સ્રંસયંતોઽંશુકાનિ
વ્યક્તં કાંતાજનાનાં વિટચરિતભૃતઃ શૈશિરા વાંતિ વાતાઃ ॥ 2.99 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
ચુંબંતઃ - kissing
ગંડઃ - cheek
ભિત્તિઃ - wall
ગંડભિત્તી - cheek-walls
અલકઃ - curl; lock of hair
વતિ - possessing
અલકવતી - curly-haired
મુખે - on the face/mouth
સીત્કૃતાનિ - hissing sounds (made in passion)
આદધાનાઃ - producing; adopting
વક્ષઃ - chest
ઉત્કંચુકઃ - tight bodice
સૂત્કંચુકેષુ - in tight bodices
સ્તનઃ - breast
ભરઃ - weight
પુલકઃ - goosebumps
ઉદ્ભેદઃ - rising; manifestation
સ્તનભરપુલકોદ્ભેદં - making goosebumps rise on the breasts
આપાદયંતઃ - causing; producing
ઊરૂન્ - thighs
આકંપયંતઃ - making tremble
પૃથુ - broad
જગનં - hips
તટા - slope/bank
પૃથુજઘનતટા - the slope of broad hips
ત્સ્રંસયંતઃ - loosening; making slip down
અંશુકાનિ - garments
ત્સ્રંસયંતોઽંશુકાનિ - loosening garments (sandhi)
વ્યક્તં - clearly
કાંતાજનાનાં - of beloved women
વિટઃ - libertine; gallant
ચરિતં - behavior
ભૃતઃ - bearing
વિટચરિતભૃતઃ - bearing the behavior of a libertine
શૈશિર - winter
શૈશિરાઃ - the winter (winds)
વાંતિ - blow
વાતાઃ - winds

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
Surely the winter winds, bearing the behavior of a libertine among beloved women, blow: kissing the cheek-walls of their curly-haired faces and making them hiss; causing goosebumps to rise on breasts within tight bodices; making thighs tremble; and loosening garments from broad hips.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
Bhartruhari uses playful personification: cold wind "flirts" by forcing closeness. In the way we live now, weather can change relationship dynamics too - winter makes people seek warmth, sit closer, and become more affectionate. The practical અનુસંધાન is to let such natural moods deepen tenderness, while keeping respect and consent central; intimacy grows when it is mutual, not forced.

કેશાનાકુલયંદૃશો મુકુલયન્વાસો બલાદાક્ષિપન્નાતન્વન્
પુલકોદ્ગમં પ્રકટયન્નાવેગકંપં શનૈઃ ।
બારં બારં ઉદારસીત્કૃતકૃતો દંતચ્છદાન્પીડયન્
પ્રાયઃ શૈશિર એષ સંપ્રતિ મરુત્કાંતાસુ કાંતાયતે ॥ 2.100 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
કેશાન્ - hair
આકુલયન્ - making disordered
દૃશઃ - the eyes
મુકુલયન્ - closing (like a bud)
વાસઃ - garment
બલાત્ - forcibly
આક્ષિપન્ - pulling away
આતન્વન્ - producing
પુલક - goosebumps
ઉદ્ગમઃ - arising
પુલકોદ્ગમં - arising of goosebumps
પ્રકટયન્ - manifesting
આવેગઃ - sudden impulse; rush
કંપઃ - trembling
આવેગકંપં - trembling from a sudden rush
શનૈઃ - slowly
બારં બારં - again and again
ઉદાર - strong; loud
સીત્કૃત - hissing sound
કૃતઃ - making
ઉદારસીત્કૃતકૃતઃ - making loud hissing sounds
દંત - teeth
ચ્છદઃ - covering (lip)
દંતચ્છદાન્ - the lips
પીડયન્ - pressing; biting
પ્રાયઃ - as if; almost
શૈશિર - winter (cold season)
એષઃ - this
સંપ્રતિ - now
મરુત્ - wind
કાંતાસુ - among beloved women
કાંતાયતે - behaves like a lover; becomes "beloved-like"

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
Now this winter wind behaves like a lover among women: it dishevels hair, closes eyes, snatches clothes by force, brings out goosebumps and tremors; again and again it makes loud hissing sounds and makes them bite their lips.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse shows Bhartruhari's eye for embodied detail: emotion is not only in the mind, it is in skin, breath, and reflex. At home and at work, we can notice how environment shapes behavior - cold makes people hold one another tighter, heat makes people restless, music changes posture and mood. The practical અનુસંધાન is to be mindful of these forces so you can respond consciously instead of being pushed unconsciously.

યદ્યસ્ય નાસ્તિ રુચિરં તસ્મિંસ્તસ્ય સ્પૃહા મનોજ્ઞેઽપિ ।
રમણીયેઽપિ સુધાંશૌ ન મનઃકામઃ સરોજિન્યાઃ ॥ 2.101 ॥

છંદઃ (માત્રા-ચંદસ્): This is in a માત્રા-based Chandas/Meter (not a fixed અક્ષર-count વૃત્ત): in this verse, the written segments carry approximately 30 + 28 માત્રાઃ (total 58); treat લઘુ=1 માત્રા and ગુરુ=2 માત્રાઃ, and keep the natural pauses at the segment ends marked by `।`/`॥` (do not confuse દંડ with internal યતિ).

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
યદિ - if
અસ્ય - of him; of a person
ન - not
અસ્તિ - is
રુચિરં - liking; taste; attraction
તસ્મિન્ - in that
તસ્ય - of him
સ્પૃહા - longing; desire
મનોજ્ઞે - in what is pleasing/beautiful
અપિ - even (verse: મનોજ્ઞેઽપિ = મનોજ્ઞે + અપિ)
રમણીયે - in what is delightful
અપિ - even (verse: રમણીયેઽપિ = રમણીયે + અપિ)
સુધા - nectar
અંશુઃ - ray
સુધાંશુઃ - the nectar-rayed one (the moon)
સુધાંશૌ - in the moon
ન - not
મનઃ - mind
કામઃ - desire
મનઃકામઃ - desire of the mind
સરોજિનિ - lotus (water-lily)
સરોજિન્યાઃ - of the lotus

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
If a person has no liking for something, then there is no longing for it, even if it is beautiful. Even though the moon is lovely, the lotus has no desire for it.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
The verse is a reminder that attraction depends on રુચિ (inner taste), not only on objective beauty. These days, we see this when a job, a lifestyle, or even a relationship that looks "perfect" from the outside does not pull us inwardly - and forcing ourselves usually creates resentment. The practical અનુસંધાન is to respect genuine inclination: choose environments and commitments that align with your nature, and allow others to have different tastes without judging them.

If you want this verse to uplift you: Treat desire as a signal, not a verdict. Attraction shows what the mind likes, but it does not decide what is right. Pause and ask: will this increase trust or reduce it; will it make tomorrow lighter or heavier? That small pause is વિવેક (discernment). When you choose transparency and boundaries early, love stays dignified and does not turn into compulsion.

વૈરાગ્યે સંચરત્યેકો નીતૌ ભ્રમતિ ચાપરઃ ।
શૃંગારે રમતે કશ્ચિદ્ભુવિ ભેદાઃ પરસ્પરમ્ ॥ 2.102 ॥

Meaning (પદાર્થ):
વૈરાગ્યે - in dispassion; renunciation
સંચરતિ - moves about; lives
એકઃ - one person
નીતૌ - in નીતિ (ethics/practical wisdom)
ભ્રમતિ - wanders
ચ - and
અપરઃ - another
શૃંગારે - in love/romance (શૃંગાર)
રમતે - delights
કશ્ચિત્ - someone
ભુવિ - on earth
ભેદાઃ - differences
પરસ્પરં - among one another

Translation (ભાવાર્થ):
One lives in renunciation, another wanders in practical ethics, and someone else delights in romance; on earth, people differ from one another.

Commentary (અનુસંધાન):
This is a calm closing: human minds are not uniform. When you look around today, this means we should not force one template on everyone - some value solitude and simplicity, some value duty and strategy, and some value relationship and beauty. The practical અનુસંધાન is to discern your own stage and temperament, and to relate to others with respect rather than comparison. When we stop demanding sameness, we cooperate better and suffer less.

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