Verse (Roman transliteration)
Naliniidalagata Jalamatitaralam,
Tadvajjeevitamatisayachapalam
Viddhi Vyaadhyabhimaana Grastamlokam,
Shokahatamacha Samastam
Translation
Life is as trembling and transient as a drop of water on a lotus leaf. Know that the world is consumed by disease, ego, and grief.
The teaching
A water droplet on a lotus leaf trembles with every breath of wind, on the verge of falling at any moment. Our lives are exactly this — vivid, trembling, and brief. Shankara is not being pessimistic; he is being precise. Recognising impermanence is not despair — it is the beginning of wisdom.
Living this today
Illustrative example: If a meeting is cancelled, use ten minutes to make a call you have been postponing. Impermanence need not lead to panic; it can make a small, worthwhile action easier to choose.