pralobhādyairarthāharaṇaparatantro dhanigṛhepraveśodyuktaḥ san bhramati bahudhā taskarapate ;imaṃ cetaścoraṃ kathamiha sahe śaṅkara vibhotavādhīnaṃ kṛtvā mayi niraparādhe kuru kṛpām . 22 .
ŚLOKA 22 / 100
The thief in the heart
About these study notes: English meanings and explanations were generated with AI assistance and have not been independently reviewed by a Sanskrit scholar. Sanskrit text follows the cited source editions.
02 / PHRASE STUDY · PADĀRTHA
A phrase at a time.
Follow the words into meaning. Select a phrase to locate it in the verse above. Read the quarters together for the full sentence.
Sringeri IAST text · source wording and line-break hyphens retained. English glosses follow the connected Sanskrit sense.
Vignanam text · spellings and hyphens retained. English glosses follow the base Sanskrit; variant readings are not separately translated.
| Selected phrase | Meaning in context |
|---|---|
Driven by temptations and the urge to take wealth, the mind approaches a rich person's house. | |
Ready to enter, it wanders in many ways, O Lord of thieves. | |
How can I bear this thief of a mind, O Shankara? | |
Take it under your authority and show compassion to me. |
These four study units follow the printed quarters. Sentences and compounds can continue across a line break; read the whole verse for connected meaning. The source wording stays unchanged.
| Selected phrase | Meaning in context |
|---|---|
Driven by temptations and the urge to take wealth, the mind approaches a rich person's house. Key expressions in this quarter: pralobha — temptation; artha — wealth. | |
Ready to enter, it wanders in many ways, O Lord of thieves. Key expressions in this quarter: taskarapati — Lord of thieves; bhramati — wanders. | |
How can I bear this thief of a mind, O Shankara? Key expressions in this quarter: cetaścora — thief of a mind; sahe — I endure. | |
Take it under your authority and show compassion to me. Key expressions in this quarter: adhīna — under authority; kṛpā — compassion. |
Selected words and compound parts are shown in IAST. This is a contextual vocabulary study, not an exhaustive grammatical analysis. The source phrase follows your selected script. Locate highlights that unchanged phrase; learning forms are not substituted into the verse.
| Word / source phrase | Meaning in context |
|---|---|
temptation | |
wealth | |
Lord of thieves | |
wanders | |
thief of a mind | |
I endure | |
under authority | |
compassion |
03 / SIMPLE MEANING
The thief in the heart
Driven by temptations and the urge to take wealth, the mind approaches a rich person's house. Ready to enter, it wanders in many ways, O Lord of thieves. How can I bear this thief of a mind, O Shankara? Take it under your authority and show compassion to me.
04 / DETAILED MEANING
How the verse unfolds.
Calling Shiva the Lord of thieves gives the plea an ironic turn: the devotee's troublesome thief can be placed under the right master. The verse recognizes acquisitive impulses without presenting them as a reason to abandon prayer. It asks for their redirection.
EDITORIAL EXPLANATION · NOT A TRADITIONAL COMMENTARY
05 / DEEPER CONTEMPLATION
What desire quietly takes more of my attention than I intend to give?
Read this verse once more, then sit with the question. Notice the particular image or expression that holds your attention. You do not need to force an answer.
Keep a reflection or question ↓06 / THEMES & TATTVA
Connected themes
Editorial lenses; a verse may invite other readings.
Associated Tattva
The heart as a place of worship
The mind is a thief driven toward others’ wealth. Addressing Shiva as Lord of thieves turns an acknowledged fault into a request for guidance and restraint.
Explore this Tattva →07 / PERSONAL REFLECTION
A phrase, a question, a moment of understanding
What desire quietly takes more of my attention than I intend to give?
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Telugu source variants
[ప్రలోభాద్యైః అర్థా హరణ-పరతంత్రో ]