चाटु श्लोक
नपुंसकमिति ज्ञात्वा
प्रिययै प्रेषितं मनः ।
तत्तु तत्रैव रमते
हताः पाणिनिना वयम् ॥
cāṭu śloka
napuṃsakamiti jñātvā
priyayai preṣitaṃ manaḥ ।
tattu tatraiva ramate
hatāḥ pāṇininā vayam ॥
नपुंसकम् इति ज्ञात्वा (napuṃsakam iti jñātvā) = knowing that it is neuter
मनः प्रिययै प्रेषितम् (manaḥ priyayai preṣitam) = mind is sent to the beloved
तत् तु तत्र एव रमते (tat tu tatra eva ramate) = but it is (now) reveling there itself
वयं पणिनिना हताः (vayaṃ paṇininā hatāḥ) = we are killed by Pāṇini.
Meaning: Thinking it to be neuter, mind is sent to the beloved. But now it revels there itself. Alas! we are killed by Pāṇini.
Hint: In Sanskrit language, the लिङ्ग (liṅga – gender) is determined by the प्रातिपदिक (prātipadika – the base word) but not by the object it indicates. The author (unknown), through this चाटु श्लोक (cāṭu śloka) shows pun and blames पाणिनि (pāṇini – the famous grammarian).
Credits: Courtesy Brahmachari Ved Chaitanya of Chinmaya International Foundation (CIF)
Image courtesy: Bapu
P.S.: All errors / mistakes are my own