Devanagari
अहो उभयत: प्राप्तं लोकस्य व्यसनं महत् ।
दारुण्युभयतो दीप्ते इव तस्करपालयो: ॥ ८ ॥
Verse text
aho ubhayataḥ prāptaṁ
lokasya vyasanaṁ mahat
dāruṇy ubhayato dīpte
iva taskara-pālayoḥ
Synonyms
aho
—
alas
;
ubhayataḥ
—
from both directions
;
prāptam
—
received
;
lokasya
—
of the people in general
;
vyasanam
—
danger
;
mahat
—
great
;
dāruṇi
—
a log
;
ubhayataḥ
—
from both sides
;
dīpte
—
burning
;
iva
—
like
;
taskara
—
from thieves and rogues
;
pālayoḥ
—
and from the king .
Translation
When the great sages consulted one another, they saw that the people were in a dangerous position from both directions. When a fire blazes on both ends of a log, the ants in the middle are in a very dangerous situation. Similarly, at that time the people in general were in a dangerous position due to an irresponsible king on one side and thieves and rogues on the other.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
The people have great danger from both sides—from the thieves and from the King, like a log burning at both ends.
When a log burns from the root and the tip, the ants in the middle have danger from both sides. The citizens must flee to a fort out of fear of thieves and in the state they must fear their protector, the King.