कश्चिदाम्रवणं छित्वा पलाशांश्च निषिञ्चति।
पुष्पं दृष्ट्वा फले गृध्नुः स शोचति फलागमे॥
kaścid āmra-vaṇaṁ chitvā palāśāṁś ca niṣiñcati
puṣpaṁ dṛṣṭvā phale gṛdhnuḥ sa śocati phalāgame
kaścit = in this world, when a man; āmra-vaṇam = a mongo grove to prevent them from blocking [the growth of the kiṁśuka trees]; chitvā = he cuts; palāśān = the kiṁśuka trees; ca = and; niṣiñcati = nourishes with water and so on; puṣpam = its flower; dṛṣṭvā = after seeing; phale = for the fruit of a kiṁśuka tree; gṛdhnuḥ = hankers; saḥ = he; śocati = laments; phala-āgame = [but] when it is time for the kiṁśuka trees to produce fruits.
In this world, when a man hankers for the fruit of a kiṁśuka tree after seeing its flower, he cuts a mango grove to prevent them from blocking [the growth of the kiṁśuka trees] and nourishes the kiṁśuka trees with water and so on. [But] when it is time for the kiṁśuka trees to produce fruits, he laments.
Apart from considering the gradation of benefits [that accrue from particular actions], a person undertaking [materialistic] activities is silly. The king elaborates on this now.
A person sees a kiṁśuka flower and hankers for the fruit [of the same tree] because he thinks, “This tree has produced very colorful and large flowers. So, it will [also] produce large fruits similar to those flowers.” A mango grove does not produce [very] colorful flowers [like the kiṁśuka trees]. For this reason and to prevent the mango grove from blocking [the growth of the kiṁśuka trees], he cuts the mango grove and nourishes the kiṁśuka trees. But when it is time for the kiṁśuka trees to produce fruits, he laments upon seeing fruits that he cannot enjoy.