Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Loaded

Devanagari text:
आलिङ्गिताः परैर्यान्ति प्रस्खलन्ति समे पथि|
अव्यक्तानि च भाषन्ते धनिनो मद्यपा इव||

Harvard-Kyoto transliteration:

AliGgitAH parairyAnti praskhalanti same pathi|
avyaktAni ca bhASante dhanino madyapA iva||
 Anonymous

Loose translation: They are embraced by others as they walk, keep stumbling on a smooth road (are not steadfast on the path of righteousness), and utter indistinct words – the wealthy are, as it were, perpetually inebriated.

Source 13th century Suktimuktaavali Chapter 89 Verse 29.

Notes The "others" who embrace (cling to) a rich person are presumably sycophants or supplicants. अव्यक्तानि, "indistinct utterances", might be a reference to the evasiveness (indicative of deceit) or the inanity (betraying a want of learning and wisdom) or the curtness (stemming from conceit) that the poet believes characterizes the speech of the affluent. 

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