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Book 1 - Vairagya Prakaranam

Chapter 14 — Denunciation of Human Life

1. श्रीराम उवाच ।
आयुः पल्लवकोणाग्रलम्बाम्बुकणभङ्गुरम् ।
उन्मत्तमिव संत्यज्य यात्यकाण्डे शरीरकम् ॥ १ ॥
Human life is as frail as a pendant drop of water trembling on the tip of a leaflet; and as irrepressible as a raving madman, that breaks loose from its bodily imprisonment out of its proper season.
2. विषयाशीविषासङ्गपरिजर्जरचेतसाम् ।
अप्रौढात्मविवेकानामायुरायासकारणम् ॥ २ ॥
Again the lives of those whose minds are infected by the poison of worldly affairs, and who are incapable of judging for themselves, are (verily) but causes of their torment.
3. ये तु विज्ञातविज्ञेया विश्रान्ता वितते पदे ।
भावाभावसमाश्वासमायुस्तेषां सुखायते ॥ ३ ॥
Those knowing the knowable, and resting in the all-pervading spirit, and acquiescing alike to their wants and gains, enjoy lives of perfect tranquility.
4. वयं परिमिताकारपरिनिष्ठितनिश्चयाः ।
संसाराभ्रतडित्पुञ्जे मुने नायुषि निर्वृताः ॥ ४ ॥
We that have certain belief of our being but limited beings, can have no enjoyment in our transient lives, which are but flashes of lightnings amidst the cloudy sky of the world.
5. युज्यते वेष्टनं वायोराकाशस्य च खण्डनम् ।
ग्रथनं च तरङ्गाणामास्था नायुषि युज्यते ॥ ५ ॥
It is as impossible to keep the winds in confinement, to tear asunder the sky to pieces, and wreathe the waves to a chaplet, as to place any reliance in our lives.
6. पेलवं शरदीवाभ्रमस्नेह इव दीपकः ।
तरङ्गक इवालोलं गतमेवोपलक्ष्यते ॥ ६ ॥
Fast as the fleeting clouds in autumn, and short as the light of an oilless lamp, our lives appear to pass away as evanescent as the rolling waves in the sea.
7. तरङ्गं प्रतिबिम्बेन्दुं तडित्पुञ्जं नभोम्बुजम् ।
ग्रहीतुमास्थां बध्नामि न त्वायुषि हतस्थितौ ॥ ७ ॥
Rather attempt to lay hold on the shadow of the moon in the waves, the fleeting lightenings in the sky, and the ideal lotus blossoms in the ether, than ever place any reliance upon this unsteady life.
8. अविश्रान्तमनाः शून्यमायुराततमीहते ।
दुःखायैव विमूढोऽन्तर्गर्भमश्वतरी यथा ॥ ८ ॥
Men of restless minds, desiring to prolong their useless and toilsome lives, resemble the she-mule conceiving by a horse (which causes her destruction abortion or unfructification).
9. संसारसंसृतावस्यां फेनोऽस्मिन्सर्गसागरे ।
कायवल्लयाम्भसो ब्रह्मञ्जीवितं मे न रोचते ॥ ९ ॥
This world (Samsara) is as a whirlpool amidst the ocean of creation, and every individual body is as (evanescent) as a foam or froth or bubble, which can give me no relish in this life.
10. प्राप्यं संप्राप्यते येन भूयो येन न शोच्यते ।
पराया निर्वृतेः स्थानं यत्तज्जीवितमुच्यते ॥ १० ॥
That is called true living, which gains what is worth gaining, which has no cause of sorrow or remorse, and which is a state of transcendental tranquility.
11. तरवोऽपि हि जीवन्ति जीवन्ति मृगपक्षिणः ।
स जीवति मनो यस्य मननेन न जीवति ॥ ११ ॥
There is a vegetable life in plants, and an animal life in beasts, and birds: man leads a thinking life, but true life is above (the succession of) thoughts.
12. जातास्त एव जगति जन्तवः साधुजीविताः ।
ये पुनर्नेह जायन्ते शेषा जरठगर्दभाः ॥ १२ ॥
All those living beings are said to have lived well in this earth, who being once born herein have no more to return to it. The rest are no better than old asses (of burden).
13. भारोऽविवेकिनः शास्त्रं भारो ज्ञानं च रागिणः ।
अशान्तस्य मनो भारो भारोऽनात्मविदो वपुः ॥ १३ ॥
Knowledge is an encumbrance to the unthinking, and wisdom is cumbersome to the passionate; intellect—is a heavy load to the restless, and the body is a ponderous burden to one ignorant of his soul.
14. रूपमायुर्मनो बुद्धिरहंकारस्तथेहितम् ।
भारो भारधरस्येव सर्वं दुःखाय दुर्धियः ॥ १४ ॥
A goodly person possessed of life, mind, intellect and self-consciousness and its occupations, is of no avail to the unwise, but seem to be his over-loadings as those upon a porter.
15. अविश्रान्तमनापूर्णमापदां परमास्पदम् ।
नीडं रोगविहङ्गानामायुरायासनं दृढम् ॥ १५ ॥
The discontented mind is the great arena of all evils, and the nestling place of diseases which alight upon it like birds of the air: such a life is the abode of toil and misery.
16. प्रत्यहं खेदमुत्सृज्य शनैरलमनारतम् ।
आखुनेव जरच्छुभ्रं कालेन विनिहन्यते ॥ १६ ॥
As a house is slowly dilapidated by the mice continually burrowing under it, so is the body of the living gradually corroded by the (pernicious) teeth of time boring within it.
17. शरीरबिलविश्रान्तैर्विषदाहप्रदायिभिः ।
रोगैरापीयते रौद्रैर्व्यालैरिव वनानिलः ॥ १७ ॥
Deadly diseases bred within the body, feed upon our vital breath, as poisonous snakes born in caves of the woods consume the meadow air.
18. प्रस्नुवानैरविच्छेदं तुच्छैरन्तरवासिभिः ।
दुःखैरावृश्च्यते क्रूरैर्घुणैरिव जरद्द्रुमः ॥ १८ ॥
As the withered tree is perforated by minutest worms residing in them, so are our bodies continually wasted by many inborn diseases and noxious secretions.
19. नूनं निगरणायाशु घनगर्धमनारतम् ।
आखुर्मार्जारकेणेव मरणेनावलोक्यते ॥ १९ ॥
Death is incessantly staring and growling at our face, as a cat looks and purrs at the mouse in order to devour it.
20. गन्धादिगुणगर्भिण्या शून्ययाऽशक्तिवेश्यया ।
अन्नं महाशनेनेव जरया परिजीर्यते ॥ २० ॥
Old age wastes us as soon as a glutton digests his food;and it reduces one to weakness as an old harlot, by no other charm than her paint and perfumes.
21. दिनैः कतिपयैरेव परिज्ञाय गतादरम् ।
दुर्जनः सुजनेनेव यौवनेनावमुच्यते ॥ २१ ॥
Youth forsakes us as soon, as a good man abandons his wicked friend in disgust, after his foibles come to be known to him in a few days.
22. विनाशसुहृदा नित्यं जरामरणबन्धुना ।
रूपं खिङ्गवरेणेव कृतान्तेनाभिलष्यते ॥ २२ ॥
Death the lover of destruction, and friend of old age and ruin, likes the sensual man, as a lecher likes a beauty.
23. स्थिरतया सुखभासितया तया सततमुज्ज्ञितमुत्तमफल्गु च ।
जगति नास्ति तथा गुणवर्जितं मरणभाजनमायुरिदं यथा ॥ २३ ॥
Thus there is nothing so worthless in the world as this life, which is devoid of every good quality and ever subject to death, unless it is attended by the permanent felicity of emancipation.
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