Even the glamour of sensual pleasures wears cut soon; with energy dissipated and wealth gone, the participants cut a sorry figure, becoming the objects of ridicule by those very persons who once adored them. The material, wealth and the sensual pleasures derived therefrom, therefore, deserve to be eschewed alike. On the other hand, one should eke out one’s existence, singing the Sweet names of the Lord of innumerable auspicious traits.
In the preceding pāśuram, our Āzhvār contemplated the transient and sorrowful nature of worldly wealth. Continuing this thread of thought, he now reveals that the pleasure derived from union with women is similarly flawed, being temporary and ultimately leading to degradation. In sharp contrast to such fleeting and demeaning pursuits, he exhorts all souls to find true,