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Shloka 36

Avadhūta’s Teachers: Python, Ocean, Moth, Bee, Elephant, Deer, Fish—and Piṅgalā’s Song of Detachment

कियत् प्रियं ते व्यभजन् कामा ये कामदा नरा: । आद्यन्तवन्तो भार्याया देवा वा कालविद्रुता: ॥ ३६ ॥

kiyat priyaṁ te vyabhajan kāmā ye kāma-dā narāḥ ādy-antavanto bhāryāyā devā vā kāla-vidrutāḥ

ผู้ชายมอบความพอใจทางอินทรีย์แก่สตรี แต่ชายเหล่านั้น—แม้กระทั่งเหล่าเทวะในสวรรค์—ล้วนมีจุดเริ่มและจุดจบ ถูกกาลเวลาฉุดลากไป แล้วเขาผู้ไม่ยั่งยืนจะให้ความสุขแท้แก่ภรรยาได้สักเพียงใดเล่า

कियत्how much
कियत्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootकियत् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम-विशेषण)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-परिमाण (interrogative of quantity)
प्रियम्pleasure, what is dear
प्रियम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootप्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
तेof you/your
ते:
Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootयुष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम
व्यभजन्they bestowed/distributed
व्यभजन्:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootवि+भज् (धातु)
Formलङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद
कामाःdesires, pleasures
कामाः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootकाम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन
येwhich/that
ये:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)
कामदाःdesire-giving
कामदाः:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootकाम + द (प्रातिपदिक; द = दा-धातोः कर्तरि)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (object-determinative: ‘giving desires’)
नराःmen
नराः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootनर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन
आद्यन्तवन्तःhaving beginning and end
आद्यन्तवन्तः:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootआदि + अन्त + वत् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; आदि-अन्त (समाहार-द्वन्द्व/द्वन्द्व-आधार) + वत् (possessing)
भार्यायाःof a wife
भार्यायाः:
Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootभार्या (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन
देवाःgods
देवाः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन
वाor
वा:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा (अव्यय)
Formविकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: ‘or’)
कालविद्रुताःdriven away by time
कालविद्रुताः:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootकाल + विद्रुत (प्रातिपदिक; विद्रुत = वि+द्रु धातोः क्त)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; षष्ठी/तत्पुरुषार्थ (time-driven/impelled by time)

In this material world everyone is basically pursuing his personal sense gratification, and thus everyone is being ruined by the influence of time. On the material platform no one actually helps anyone else. So-called material love is simply a cheating process, as the lady Piṅgalā is now discovering.

P
Pingalā

FAQs

This verse teaches that pleasure received from lust-driven relationships is limited and unreliable; time inevitably ends such arrangements, so they cannot give lasting satisfaction.

To emphasize that no worldly shelter—human or divine—is permanent; all conditioned enjoyers are subject to kāla (time), so one should seek a higher, eternal refuge.

Don’t build your identity on romantic/sexual validation or temporary attention; cultivate inner steadiness and redirect longing toward lasting spiritual practice and devotion.