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Book 1 - Vairagya Prakaranam

Chapter 20 — Denunciation of Youth

1. श्रीराम उवाच ।
बाल्यानर्थमथ त्यक्त्वा पुमानभिहताशयः ।
आरोहति निपाताय यौवनं संभ्रमेण तु ॥ १ ॥
The boy having passed his state of blemishes, gladly steps to his youth with hopes of gaining his objects that tend only to his ruin.
2. तत्रानन्तविलासस्य लोलस्य स्वस्य चेतसः ।
वृत्तीरनुभवन्याति दुःखाद्दुःखान्तरं जडः ॥ २ ॥
The insensible youth feels at this time the wanton inclinations of his loose mind, and goes on falling from one tribulation to another.
3. स्वचित्तबिलसंस्थेन नानासंभ्रमकारिणा ।
बलात्कामपिशाचेन विवशः परिभूयते ॥ ३ ॥
He is overcome as one subdued by the power of delusive cupid, lying hidden in the cavity of the heart (hence called Monoja).
4. चिन्तानां लोलवृत्तीनां ललनानामिवाऽवृतीः ।
अर्पयत्यवशं चेतो बालानामञ्जनं यथा ॥ ४ ॥
His ungoverned mind gives rise to loose thoughts like those of voluptuous women, and these serve to beguile him like the magic collyrium (in the hand) of boys (called Siddanyana).
5. ते ते दोषा दुरारम्भास्तत्र तं तादृशाशयम् ।
तद्रूपं प्रतिलुम्पन्ति दुष्टास्तेनैव ये मुने ॥ ५ ॥
Vices of the most heinous kind betake persons of such (perverse) minds in their youth, and lead them to their ruin.
6. महानरकबीजेन संततभ्रमदायिना ।
यौवनेन न ये नष्टा नष्टा नान्येन ते जनाः ॥ ६ ॥
The paths of youth lead them to the gate of hell through a maze of errors. Those that have been left uncorrupt by their youth, are not to be corrupted by anything else.
7. नानारसमयी चित्रवृत्तान्तनिचयोम्भिता ।
भीमा यौवनभूर्येन तीर्णा धीरः स उच्यते ॥ ७ ॥
Whoso has passed the dreadfully enchanted coast of youth, fraught with various flavours and wonders, are said to be truly wise.
8. निमेषभासुराकारमालोलघनगर्जितम् ।
विद्युत्प्रकाशमशिवं यौवनं मे न रोचते ॥ ८ ॥
I take no delight in our unwelcome youth, which appears to us in the form of a momentary flash of lightning, and soon succeeded by the loud roaring of the clouds (of manhood).
9. मधुरं स्वादु तिक्तं च दूषणं दोषभूषणम् ।
सुराकल्लोलसदृशं यौवनं मे न रोचते ॥ ९ ॥
Youth like rich wine is sweet and delicious (at first), but becomes bitter, insipid and noxious in a short time. Hence it is not delectable to me.
10. असत्यं सत्यसंकाशमचिराद्विप्रलम्भदम् ।
स्वप्नाङ्गनासङ्गसमं यौवनं मे न रोचते ॥ १० ॥
Youth appearing (at first) as a reality, is found to be a false, transient thing, as deceptive as a fairy dream by night. Hence I like it not.
11. सर्वस्याग्रे सर्वपुंसः क्षणमात्रमनोहरम् ।
गन्धर्वनगरप्रख्यं यौवनं मे न रोचते ॥ ११ ॥
It is the most charming of all things to men, but its charm is soon lost and fled. Therefore the phantasmagoria of youth is not pleasing to me.
12. इषुप्रपातमात्रं हि सुखदं दुःखभासुरम् ।
दाहपोषप्रदं नित्यं यौवनं मे न रोचते ॥ १२ ॥
Youth as an arrow shot is pleasant to see, but painful to feel its smart. Hence I do not like youth that produces blood heat (in the veins).
13. आपातमात्ररमणं सद्भावरहितान्तरम् ।
वेश्यास्त्रीसंगमप्रख्यं यौवनं मे न रोचते ॥ १३ ॥
Youth as a harlot is charming at first sight, but turning heartless soon after. Hence it is not to my liking.
14. ये केचन समारम्भास्ते सर्वे सर्वदुःखदाः ।
तारुण्ये संनिधिं यान्ति महोत्पाता इव क्षये ॥ १४ ॥
As the efforts of a dying man are all for his torment, so the exertions of the young are portentous of his destruction.
15. हार्दान्धकारकारिण्या भैरवाकारवानपि ।
यौवनाज्ञानयामिन्या बिभेति भगवानपि ॥ १५ ॥
Puberty advances as a dark night spreading the shadow of destruction. It darkens the heart and mind by its hedious appearance, and intimidates even the god (Siva himself).
16. सुविस्मृतशुभाचारं बुद्धिवैधुर्यदायिनम् ।
ददात्यतितरामेष भ्रमं यौवनसंभ्रमः ॥ १६ ॥
Errors growing in youth, cause copious mistakes in life, by upsetting good sense and setting at naught the approved good manners (of society).
17. कान्तावियोगजातेन हृदि दुःस्पर्शवह्निना ।
यौवने दह्यते जन्तुस्तरुर्दावाग्निना यथा ॥ १७ ॥
The raging fire in the hearts of the young, caused by separation of their mates, burns them down like trees by a wild fire.
18. सुनिर्मलापि विस्तीर्णा पावन्यपि हि यौवने ।
मतिः कलुषतामेति प्रावृषीव तरङ्गिणी ॥ १८ ॥
As a clear, sacred and wide stream, becomes muddy in the rains, so doth the mind of man however clear, pure and expanded it may be, gets polluted in his youth.
19. शक्यते घनकल्लोला भीमा लङ्घयितुं नदी ।
न तु तारुण्यतरला तृष्णातरलितान्तरा ॥ १९ ॥
It is possible for one to cross over a river made terrible by its waves, but no way possible to him to get over the boisterous expanse of his youthful desires.
20. सा कान्ता तौ स्तनौ पीनौ ते विलासास्तदाननम् ।
तारुण्य इति चिन्ताभिर्याति जर्जरतां जनः ॥ २० ॥
O how (lamentably) is one’s youth worn out with the thoughts of his mistress, her swollen breasts, her beautiful face and her sweet caresses.
21. नरं तरलतृष्णार्ति युवानमिह साधवः ।
पूजयन्ति न तु च्छिन्नं जरत्तृणलवं यथा ॥ २१ ॥
The young man afflicted with the pain of soft desire, is regarded by the wise in no better light than a fragment of (useless) straw.
22. नाशायैव मदार्तस्य दोषमौक्तिकधारिणः ।
अभिमानमहेभस्य नित्यालानं हि यौवनम् ॥ २२ ॥
Youth is the stake of haughty self-esteem, as the rack is for the immolation of the elephant giddy with its frontal pearl.
23. मनोविपुलमूलानां दोषाशीविषधारिणाम् ।
शोषरोदनवृक्षाणां यौवनं बत काननम् ॥ २३ ॥
Youth is a lamentable forest, where the mind as the root of all, gives growth to jungles of (love sick) groans and sighs, and tears of sorrow. The vices of this time, are as venomous snakes of the forest.
24. रसकेसरसंबाधं कुविकल्पदलाकुलम् ।
दुश्चिन्ताचञ्चरीकाणां पुष्करं विद्धि यौवनम् ॥ २४ ॥
Know youthful bloom of the person to resemble the blooming lotus of the lake, the one is full of affections, bad desires and evil intents, as the other is fraught with bees, filaments, petals and leaves.
25. कृताकृतकुपक्षाणां हृत्सरस्तीरचारिणाम् ।
आधिव्याधिविहंगानामालयो नवयौवनम् ॥ २५ ॥
The new bloom of youth is the resort of anxiety and disease, which like two birds with their (black and white) plumage of vice and virtue, frequent the fountain of the young man’s heart.
26. जडानां गतसंख्यानां कल्लोलानां विलासिनाम् ।
अनपेक्षितमर्यादो वारिधिर्नवयौवनम् ॥ २६ ॥
Early youth resembles a deep sea, disturbed by the waves of numberless amusements, transgressing all bounds, and regardless of death and disease.
27. सर्वेषां गुणसर्गाणां परिरूढरजस्तमाः ।
अपनेतुं स्थितिं दक्षो विषमो यौवनानिलः ॥ २७ ॥
Youth is like a furious gust of wind, over-loaded with the dust of pride and vanity, and sweeps away every trace of the good qualities (early acquired by one).
28. नयन्ति पाण्डुतां वक्रमाकुलावकरोत्कटाः ।
आरोहन्ति परां कोटिं रूक्षा यौवनपांसवः ॥ २८ ॥
The rude dust of the passions of youths, disfigures their face, and the hurricane of their sensualities cover their good qualities (as flying leaves overspread the ground).
29. उद्वोधयति दोषालिं निकृन्तति गुणावलिम् ।
नराणां यौवनोल्लासो विलासो दुष्कृतश्रियाम् ॥ २९ ॥
Youthful vigour awakens a series of faults, and destroys a group of good qualities, by increasing the vice of pleasures.
30. शरीरपङ्कजरजश्चञ्चलां मतिषट्पदीम् ।
निबध्नन्मोहयत्येष नवयौवनचन्द्रमाः ॥ ३० ॥
Youthful bloom confines the fickle mind to some beauteous person, as the bright moon-beams serve to shut the flitting bee in the dust of the closing lotus.
31. शरीरखण्डकोद्भूता रम्या यौवनवल्लरी ।
लग्नमेव मनोभृङ्गं मदयत्युन्नतिं गता ॥ ३१ ॥
Youth like a delightsome cluster of flowers, growing in the arbour of human body, attracts the mind as the bee to it, and makes it giddy (with its sweets).
32. शरीरमरुतापोत्थां युवतामृगतृष्णिकाम् ।
मनोमृगाः प्रधावन्तः पतन्ति विषयावटे ॥ ३२ ॥
The human mind anxious to derive pleasure from the youthfulness of the body, falls into the cave of sensuality, as a deer running after the mirage of desert heat, falls down into a pit.
33. शरीरशर्वरीज्योत्स्ना चित्तकेसरिणः सटा ।
लहरी जीविताम्भोधेर्युवता मे न तुष्टये ॥ ३३ ॥
I take no delight in moony youth, which guilds the dark body with its beams, and resembles the stern mane of the leonine mind. It is a surge in the ocean of our lives (that tosses us all about).
34. दिनानि कतिचिद्येयं फलिता देहजङ्गले ।
युवता शरदस्यां हि न समाश्वासमर्हथ ॥ ३४ ॥
There is no reliance in youth, which fades away as soon as summer flowers in this desert of the body.
35. झटित्येव प्रयात्येव शरीराद्युवताखगः ।
क्षणेनैवाल्पभाग्यस्य हस्ताच्चिन्तामणिर्यथा ॥ ३५ ॥
Youth is as a bird, and as soon flies away from our bodily cage as the philosopher’s stone, which quickly disappears from the hands of the unfortunate.
36. यदा यदा परां कोटिमध्यारोहति यौवनम् ।
वल्गन्ति सज्वराः कामास्तदा नाशाय केवलम् ॥ ३६ ॥
As youth advances to its highest pitch, so the feverish passions wax stronger for our destruction only.
37. तावदेव विवल्गन्ति रागद्वेषपिशाचकाः ।
नास्तमेति समस्तैषा यावद्यौवनयामिनी ॥ ३७ ॥
As long as the night (delusion) of youth does not come to its end, so long the fiends of our passion do not cease to rage in the desert of the body.
38. नानाविकारबहुले वराके क्षणनाशिनि ।
कारुण्यं कुरु तारुण्ये म्रियमाणे सुतै यथा ॥ ३८ ॥
Pity me, O sage! in this state of youth, which is so full of perturbations, as to have deprived me of the sight (light) of reason. O pity me as thou wouldst for thy dying son.
39. हर्षमायाति यो मोहात्पुरुषः क्षणभङ्गिना ।
यौवनेन महामुग्धः स वै नरमृगः स्मृतः ॥ ३९ ॥
The foolish man who ignorantly rejoices at his transient youth, is considered as a human beast.
40. मानमोहान्मदोन्मत्तं यौवनं योऽभिलष्यति ।
अचिरेण स दुर्बुद्धिः पश्चात्तापेन युज्यते ॥ ४० ॥
The foolish fellow who is fond of his youth which is flushed with pride and fraught with errors, comes to repent (of his folly) in a short time.
41. ते पूज्यास्ते महात्मानस्त एव पुरुषा भुवि ।
ये सुखेन समुत्तीर्णाः साधो यौवनसंकटात् ॥ ४१ ॥
Those great minded men are honoured on earth, who have safely passed over the perils of youth.
42. सुखेन तीर्यतेऽम्भोधिरुत्कृष्टमकराकरः ।
न कल्लोलबलोल्लासि सदोषं हतयौवनम् ॥ ४२ ॥
One crosses over with ease the wide ocean which is the horrible habitation of huge whales; but it is hard to pass over our youth, that is so full of vices and the billows (of our passions).
43. विनयभूषितमार्यजनास्पदं करुणयोज्ज्वलमावलितं गुणैः ।
इह हि दुर्लभमङ्ग सुयौवनं जगति काननमम्बरगं यथा ॥ ४३ ॥
It is very rare to have that happy youth which is fraught with humility, and spent in the company of respectable men; which is distinguished by feelings of sympathy, and is joined with good qualities and virtues.
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