Shloka 19
Avadhūta’s Teachers: Python, Ocean, Moth, Bee, Elephant, Deer, Fish—and Piṅgalā’s Song of Detachment
जिह्वयातिप्रमाथिन्या जनो रसविमोहित: । मृत्युमृच्छत्यसद्बुद्धिर्मीनस्तु बडिशैर्यथा ॥ १९ ॥
jihvayāti-pramāthinyā jano rasa-vimohitaḥ mṛtyum ṛcchaty asad-buddhir mīnas tu baḍiśair yathā
Wie ein Fisch, vom Verlangen nach Zungenlust angetrieben, tödlich am Haken des Fischers hängen bleibt, so wird der Tor von den höchst aufwühlenden Regungen der Zunge betört und geht zugrunde.
The fisherman places meaty bait on a sharp hook and easily attracts the unintelligent fish, who is greedy to enjoy its tongue. Similarly, people are mad after gratifying their tongues and lose all discrimination in their eating habits. For momentary gratification they construct huge slaughterhouses and kill millions of innocent creatures, and by inflicting such atrocious suffering they prepare a ghastly future for themselves. But even if one eats only the foods authorized in the Vedas, there is still danger. One may eat too sumptuously and then the artificially stuffed belly will create pressure on the sexual organs. Thus one will fall down into the lower modes of nature and commit sinful activities that lead to the death of one’s spiritual life. From the fish one should carefully learn the real dangers involved in gratifying the tongue.
FAQs
This verse warns that fascination with taste powerfully agitates the mind and can drag a person toward destruction; therefore, mastery over the tongue is essential for spiritual progress.
The fish dies by chasing a small pleasure (bait), illustrating how a human being can fall into serious bondage by running after fleeting sense enjoyment, especially taste.
Practice mindful eating, avoid impulsive indulgence, and sanctify consumption through devotion (prasāda), so the tongue serves bhakti rather than driving harmful habits.