आशा हि परमं दु:खं नैराश्यं परमं सुखम् । यथा सञ्छिद्य कान्ताशां सुखं सुष्वाप पिङ्गला ॥ ४४ ॥
āśā hi paramaṁ duḥkhaṁ nairāśyaṁ paramaṁ sukham yathā sañchidya kāntāśāṁ sukhaṁ suṣvāpa piṅgalā
- āśā
- material desire
- hi
- certainly
- paramam
- the greatest
- duḥkham
- unhappiness
- nairāśyam
- freedom from material desires
- paramam
- the greatest
- sukham
- happiness
- yathā
- in that way
- sañchidya
- completely cutting off
- kānta
- for lovers
- āśām
- the desire
- sukham
- happily
- suṣvāpa
- she slept
- piṅgalā
- the former prostitute, Piṅgalā
Material desire is undoubtedly the cause of the greatest unhappiness, and freedom from such desire is the cause of the greatest happiness. Therefore, completely cutting off her desire to enjoy so-called lovers, Piṅgalā very happily went to sleep.