kaama-raaga pradhaano 'pi
parihaasa-samo 'pi san
paripaaka-gate hetau
na sa tan mamRShe vacaH
12.3
Fixated though he was on sensual passion,
And though he was indifferent to ridicule,
His motivation had matured to a point
Where neither could he disregard the other's words.
COMMENT:
Nanda's bind, as described in this and the previous verse, is that of a lousy, non-observant monk who, though his male brain, in common with millions of other male brains, thinks obsessively, every few seconds, about sex, still cannot disregard words that, in pointing to a deeper satisfaction, seem to ring true.
When religious people preach of satisfaction beyond sex, a healthy scepticism on the part of the listener may be justified. Because there have been many shameful religious types in recent news, not least in Ireland, who have talked a good talk while never coming near to walking the good walk.
Nanda was full of faults: he was not perfect; but he was not a poser. Unlike pretenders who become Catholic priests without any true vocation or true sense of manly endeavour, but mainly in order to win the approval of others in their community, especially Mummy, Nanda was a man who did not mind being ridiculed.
His shame, the shame arising from consciousness of continuing impure movements of the mind (see 16.76), was never that shame which arises from hypocrisy. Nanda's story is the story of one who was motivated primarily to walk the good walk.
EH Johnston:
Though the passion of love predominated in him and he was indifferent to ridicule, he could not put up with that saying, since the motive to a right life was now fully matured in him.
Linda Covill:
Though chiefly preoccupied with sensuality and passion, and though he dd not mind being ridiculed, his motivation had matured to the extent that he could not ignore Ananda's words.
VOCABULARY:
kaama: wish, object of desire, love of sensual enjoyments, sexual desire
raaga: colouring, red colour, love, joy, anger
pradhaanaH = nominative singular of pradhaana: n. a chief thing or person , the most important or essential part of anything
api: even
parihaasa: joking, ridiculing
samaH = nominative singular of sama: same, equal, impartial
api: even
san (nominative singular masculine of sant) = present participle of as: to be [note to self: same usage in 3.31, 3.32]
paripaaka: being completely cooked or dressed; digestion; ripening
gate = locative of gata: gone to, being in
hetau = locative of hetu: cause, motive
na: not
sa: he
tat: that
mamRShe = perfect of mRSh: to forget , neglect ; to disregard , not heed or mind , mind , bear patiently , put up with (acc.)
vacaH = nominative, singular of vaca: speaking, speech
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