Kagga 382
D. V. Gundappa · from the Kannada original
Transliteration
indriyava jayasideyo? mandavO ninnakShi?saundarya yakShiNiye ninna toredihaLO?andhane viraktan, apsareya kANadane yatikanDu keraLanAro! – MANKUTIMMA
Interpretation
Among the many dichotomies designed by the Creator in His Universe is the one related to the five senses that He has imparted in man
Man keeps getting mixed messages from other people & scriptures – some tell him to suppress his desires; that being the only way to attain salvation…others implore him to hone his senses & make full use of them effectively so that he can differentiate between the right & the wrong
Mankutimma, you will frequently come across people who say that they have completely conqueres their senses, their desires. Take their declaration with a pinch of salt…is it that they have truly gained control of their senses or is it just that their desires have waned naturally? It is very easy for a blind man not to be seduced by visual beauty…the true test of a saint is only when his penance is not affected by the temptations of a beautiful woman – for who on earth is not aroused thus? It is better not to try to suppress your desires; instead use them judiciously so that your senses aid your evolution process.
Did this poetry & its translation speak to you?