SB 5.2.8

SB 5.2.8

Devanagari

बाणाविमौ भगवत: शतपत्रपत्रौशान्तावपुङ्खरुचिरावतितिग्मदन्तौ कस्मै युयुङ्‌क्षसि वने विचरन्न विद्म:क्षेमाय नो जडधियां तव विक्रमोऽस्तु ॥ ८ ॥

Verse text

bāṇāv imau bhagavataḥ śata-patra-patrau śāntāv apuṅkha-rucirāv ati-tigma-dantau kasmai yuyuṅkṣasi vane vicaran na vidmaḥ kṣemāya no jaḍa-dhiyāṁ tava vikramo ’stu

Synonyms

bāṇau two arrows ; imau these ; bhagavataḥ of you, the most powerful ; śata patra — patrau — having feathers like the petals of a lotus flower ; śāntau peaceful ; apuṅkha without a shaft ; rucirau very beautiful ; ati tigma — dantau — having a very sharp point ; kasmai whom ; yuyuṅkṣasi you want to pierce ; vane in the forest ; vicaran loitering ; na vidmaḥ we cannot understand ; kṣemāya for welfare ; naḥ of us ; jaḍa dhiyām — who are dull-headed ; tava your ; vikramaḥ prowess ; astu may be .

Translation

Then Āgnīdhra observed the glancing eyes of Pūrvacitti and said: My dear friend, you have two very powerful arrows, namely your glancing eyes. Those arrows have feathers like the petals of a lotus flower. Although they have no shafts, they are very beautiful, and they have very sharp, piercing points. They appear very peaceful, and thus it seems that they will not be shot at anyone. You must be loitering in this forest to shoot those arrows at someone, but I cannot understand whom. My intelligence is dull, and I cannot combat you. Indeed, no one can equal you in prowess, and therefore I pray that your prowess will be for my good fortune.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

You have two languid arrows with lotus-petal feathers, with no shafts and very sharp arrow heads. I do not know whom you will shoot in this forest. May your prowess be auspicious for me, who have no intelligence! On seeing her glance he speaks. You have two arrows with lotus-petal feathers, languid because of coquetry, without shafts and with very beautiful sharp arrowheads. May your prowess be auspicious for me. This means that if you shoot me, I will not live because of the pain of the arrows piercing me.

Purport

Āgnīdhra thus began appreciating Pūrvacitti’s powerful glance upon him. He compared her glancing eyes to very sharp arrows. Although her eyes were as beautiful as lotuses, they were simultaneously like shaftless arrows, and Āgnīdhra was therefore afraid of them. He hoped that her glances upon him would be favorable because he was already captivated and the more captivated he became the more impossible it would be for him to remain without her. Āgnīdhra therefore prayed to Pūrvacitti that her glances at him would be auspicious, not futile. In other words, he prayed that she would become his wife.