aho me paÅ›yatÄpÄyam
alpa-puṇyasya durmateḥ
atá¹›ptasyÄká¹›tÄrthasya
gṛhas trai-vargiko hataḥ
aho - alas; me - my; paÅ›yata - just see; apÄyam - the destruction; alpa-puṇyasya - of him whose pious credit has been insufficient; durmateḥ - unintelligent; atá¹›ptasya - unsatisfied; aká¹›ta-arthasya - of him who has not fulfilled the purpose of his life; gá¹›haḥ - the family life; trai-vargikaḥ - comprising the three aims of civilized existence (religiosity, economic development and sense gratification); hataḥ - ruined.
The male pigeon said: Alas, just see how I am now destroyed! I am obviously a great fool, for I did not properly execute pious activities. I could not satisfy myself, nor could I fulfill the purpose of life. My dear family, which was the basis of my religiosity, economic development and sense gratification, is now hopelessly ruined.
ÅšrÄ«la ÅšrÄ«dhara SvÄmÄ« explains that the word atá¹›ptasya indicates that the pigeon was not satisfied with the sense gratification he had achieved. Although he was completely attached to his wife, children and nest, he could not sufficiently enjoy them since there is ultimately no satisfaction in such things. Aká¹›tÄrthasya indicates that his hopes and dreams for future expansion of his sense gratification were now also ruined. People commonly refer to their “home, sweet home†as their nest, and money put aside for future sense gratification is called a nest egg. Therefore, all of the love birds of the material world should clearly note how their so-called wife, children and fortune will all be dragged away in the hunter’s net. In other words, death will finish everything.
