Shloka 4.1.87
पम्पा-तीर-वर्णनम् / Rama’s Lament at Pampa and the Approach to Rishyamuka
इदं मृष्टमिदं स्वादु प्रफुल्लमिदमित्यपि।रागयुक्तो मधुकरः कुसुमेष्वेव लीयते।।।।
nilīya punar utpatya sahasā 'nyatra gacchati |
madhulubdho madhukaraḥ pampātīradrumeṣv asau ||
Resting and then rising again, it suddenly goes elsewhere; the honey-seeking bee, greedy for nectar, moves among the trees on Pampā’s bank.
'Fascinated by the flowers, the honeybees cling to one or the other, humming, 'this is soft, this is sweet, and this is fully-blossomed.'
The bee’s restless honey-seeking illustrates how craving produces instability. Dharma encourages steadiness and truthful self-governance, rather than being driven from one object of desire to another.
Rāma continues depicting spring life at Pampā, watching bees flit between flowering trees.
Discernment about desire: Rāma’s description doubles as a reflection on the mind’s tendency to chase pleasure.