Verse 20

Yagyavalkya

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

कामनाम्ना किरातेन विकीर्णा मुग्धचेतसः । नार्यो नरविहङ्गानामङ्गबन्धनवागुराः ॥२०॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

काम-नाम्ना । किरातेन । विकीर्णाः । मुग्ध-चेतसः । नार्यः । नर-विहङ्गानाम् । अङ्ग-बन्धन-वागुराः ॥२०॥

IAST Transliteration

kāmanāmnā kirātena vikīrṇā mugdhacetasaḥ | nāryo naravihaṅgānām aṅgabandhanavāgurāḥ ||20||

Translation

‘ಕಾಮ’ ಎಂಬ ಹೆಸರಿನ ಬೇಟೆಗಾರನಿಂದ ಚದುರಿಸಲ್ಪಟ್ಟ ಮೋಹಿತಚಿತ್ತರು; ಸ್ತ್ರೀಯರು ಪುರುಷಪಕ್ಷಿಗಳ ಅಂಗಬಂಧನ ಮಾಡುವ ಬಲೆಯಂತಿವೆ.

Academic Translation

Scattered by the hunter named ‘Desire,’ the deluded-minded—women are the body-binding nets for the male birds.

Verse Context

• Kāma as bondage (bandha) and the need for viveka-vairāgya
• Mahavakya: Indirect: emphasizes purification of mind (citta-śuddhi) needed to abide in mahāvākya knowledge; bondage by kāma obstructs recognition of the Self.
• Yajur
• Śukla (Vājasaneyin) Shakha
• Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (śloka)