कोऽन्वर्थ: सुखयत्येनं कामो वा मृत्युरन्तिके । आघातं नीयमानस्य वध्यस्येव न तुष्टिद: ॥ २० ॥
ko ’nv arthaḥ sukhayaty enaṁ kāmo vā mṛtyur antike āghātaṁ nīyamānasya vadhyasyeva na tuṣṭi-daḥ
- kaḥ
- what
- nu
- certainly
- arthaḥ
- material object
- sukhayati
- gives happiness
- enam
- to a person
- kāmaḥ
- sense gratification derived from material things
- vā
- or
- mṛtyuḥ
- death
- antike
- standing nearby
- āghātam
- to the place of execution
- nīyamānasya
- of one who is being led
- vadhyasya
- of one who is to be killed
- iva
- like
- na
- not at all
- tuṣṭi-daḥ
- gives satisfaction
Death is not at all pleasing, and since everyone is exactly like a condemned man being led to the place of execution, what possible happiness can people derive from material objects or the gratification they provide?