Kagga 385
D. V. Gundappa · from the Kannada original
Transliteration
dAsarO nAvella shunakanandadi jagadivAsanegaLeLetakke dikku dikkinalipAshagaLu horage, konDigaLu nammoLagihavuvAsanAkShaya mokSha – 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
The conundrum is whether to suppress the senses or not. If man were to yield to every desire that generates within him, then where would he have the time to learn, introspect & understand the right path to live
Mankutimma, while it is true that desires fuel ambition & that drives man to be innovative; unbridled desire is dangerous…man then is no better than a dog who just blindly follows the scent of food wherever it takes it. Similarly, if you give in to all desires, then your life become haywire & you will blindly move around in all directions. Realise that even though the attractions are outside, the hook that connects you to these is within you…figure out which hook to keep & which to remove so that you are not at risk of overindulgence of the more baser desires…
Did this poetry & its translation speak to you?