The works of Ādi Śaṅkarācārya

Sanatsujātīyam

p. 200

p. 200

कमनीयबुद्ध्या गृध्यन्तः अभिकाङ्क्षन्त एव धावन्ति अनुधावन्ति ।गच्छन्तः श्वभ्रमुन्मुखाः यथा अन्धाः कूपादिकं विवेक्तुमशक्ताः कूपादिषून्मुखाः पतन्ति एवं स्त्र्यादिकमभिकाङ्क्षन्तो विषयविषान्धाः उन्मुखाः नरकेष्वेव पतन्तीत्यर्थः ॥

In plain words

"Coveting" — that is, craving, because the mind has decided the thing is beautiful. "They run" — they run after it. "Walking toward the pit with their faces turned up": just as blind men, who cannot tell where the well is, walk with their heads lifted and drop straight into it, so those who crave women and all the rest, blinded by the poison of the senses, faces lifted toward what they want, fall into hell and nowhere else. That is the meaning.

Close to the Sanskrit

Coveting, with the notion that [the objects are] desirable — that is, precisely longing for [them]; 'they run' — they run after. 'Going toward the pit, faces turned up' — just as the blind, unable to discern a well and the like, with faces turned up, fall into wells and such, so those longing for women and the rest, blinded by the poison of sense-objects, faces turned up, fall into the hells alone. That is the meaning.