rasālaṅkāra-vat kāvyaṁ
doṣa-yuk ced vibhūṣitam
syād vapuḥ sundaram api
śvitreṇaikena durbhagam
doṣa-yuk ced vibhūṣitam
syād vapuḥ sundaram api
śvitreṇaikena durbhagam
Synonyms
rasa-with humors; alaṅkāra-vat-with ornaments (metaphors, similes, etc.); kāvyam-poetry; doṣa-yuk-faulty; cet-if; vibhūṣitam-very nicely decorated; syāt-it becomes so; vapuḥ-the body; sundaram-beautiful; api-even though; śvitreṇa-by a white spot of leprosy; ekena-one; durbhagam-unfortunate.
Translation
" 'As one's body, although well-decorated with ornaments, is made unfortunate by even one spot of white leprosy, so an entire poem is made useless by a fault, despite alliteration, similes and metaphors.'