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Book 1 - Vairagya Prakaranam

Chapter 22 — Denunciation of Old Age

1. श्रीराम उवाच ।
अपर्याप्तं हि बालत्वं बलात्पिबति यौवनम् ।
यौवनं च जरा पश्चात्पश्य कर्कशतां मिथः ॥ १ ॥
Boyhood has scarcely lost its boyishness when it is overtaken by youth, which is soon followed by a ruthless old age, devouring the other two.
2. हिमाशनिरिवाम्भोजं वात्येव शरदम्बुकम् ।
देहं जरा नाशयति नदी तीरतरुं यथा ॥ २ ॥
Old age withers the body like a frost freezing the lake of lilies. It drives away the beauty of the person as a storm does the autumnal clouds; and it pulls down the body, as a current carries away a tree on the bank.
3. जर्जरीकृतसर्वाङ्गी जरा जरठरूपिणी ।
विरूपतां नयत्याशु देहं विषलवो यथा ॥ ३ ॥
The old man with his limbs slackened and worn out by age, and his body weakened by infirmity, is treated by women as a useless beast.
5. अनायासकदर्थिन्या गृहीते जरसा जने ।
पलाय्य गच्छति प्रज्ञा सपत्न्येवाहताङ्गना ॥ ५ ॥
Old age drives a man’s good sense, as a good wife is driven away by her step dame.
6. दासाः पुत्राः स्त्रियश्चैव बान्धवाः सुहृदस्तथा ।
हसन्त्युन्मत्तकमिव नरं वार्धककम्पितम् ॥ ६ ॥
A man in his state of tottering old age, is scoffed at as a dotard by his own sons and servants, and even by his wife, and all his friends and relations.
7. दुष्प्रेक्ष्यं जरठं दीनं हीनं गुणपराक्रमैः ।
गृध्रो वृक्षमिवादीर्घं गर्धो ह्यभ्येति वृद्धकम् ॥ ७ ॥
Insatiable avarice like a greedy vulture alights on the heads of the aged, when their appearance grows uncouth, and their bodies become helpless, and devoid of all manly qualities and powers.
8. दैन्यदोषमयी दीर्घा हृदि दाहप्रदायिनी ।
सर्वापदामेकसखी वार्धके वर्धते स्पृहा ॥ ८ ॥
Appetite the constant companion of my youth, is thriving along with my age, accompanied with her evils of indigence, and heart-burning cares and restlessness.
9. कर्तव्यं किं मया कष्टं परत्रेत्यतिदारुणम् ।
अप्रतीकारयोग्यं हि वर्धते वार्धके भयम् ॥ ९ ॥
Ah me! what must I do to remove my present and future pains? It is this fear which increases with old age, and finds no remedy.
10. कोऽहं वराकः किमिव करोमि कथमेव च ।
तिष्ठामि मौनमेवेति दीनतोदेति वार्धके ॥ १० ॥
What am I that has brought to this extremity of senselessness, what can I do in this state. I must remain dumb and silent. Under these reflections there is an increased sense of helplessness in old age.
11. कथं कदा मे किमिव स्वादु स्याद्भोजनं जनात् ।
इत्यजस्रं जरा चैषा चेतो दहति वार्धके ॥ ११ ॥
How and when and what shall I eat, and what is sweet to taste? These are the thoughts which trouble the mind of one when old age comes upon him.
12. गर्धोऽभ्युदेति सोल्लासमुपभोक्तुं न शक्यते ।
हृदयं दह्यते नूनं शक्तिदौस्थ्येन वार्धके ॥ १२ ॥
There is an insatiable desire for enjoyments, but the powers to enjoy them are lacking. It is the want of strength which afflicts the heart in old age.
13. जराजीर्णबकी यावत्कायक्लेशापकारिणी ।
रौति रोगोरगाकीर्णा कायद्रुमशिरःस्थिता ॥ १३ ॥
Hoary old age sits and shrieks as a heron on the top of the tree of this body, which is infested within it by the serpents of sickness.
14. तावदागत एवाशु कुतोऽपि परिदृश्यते ।
घनान्ध्यतिमिराकाङ्क्षी मुने मरणकौशिकः ॥ १४ ॥
As the grave owl—the bird of night, appears unexpectedly to our sight soon as the evening shades cover the landscape, so does the solemn appearance of death overtake us in the eve of our life.
15. सायंसंध्यां प्रजातां वै तमः समनुधावति ।
जरां वपुषि दृष्ट्वैव मृतिः समनुधावति ॥ १५ ॥
As darkness prevails over the world at the eve of the day, so doth death overtake the body at the eve of the life.
16. जराकुसुमितं देहद्रुमं दृष्ट्वैव दूरतः ।
अध्यापतति वेगेन मुने मरणमर्कटः ॥ १६ ॥
Death overtakes a man in his hoary old age, just as an ape alights on a tree covered with pearly flowers.
17. शून्यं नगरमाभाति भाति च्छिन्नलतो द्रुमः ।
भात्यनावृष्टिमान्देशो न जराजर्जरं वपुः ॥ १७ ॥
Even a deserted city, a leafless tree and parched up land may present a fair aspect, but never does the body look well that is pulled down by hoary age.
18. क्षणान्निगरणायैव कासक्वणितकारिणी ।
गृध्रीवामिषमादत्ते तरसैव नरं जरा ॥ १८ ॥
Old age with its hooping cough lays hold on a man, just as a vulture seizes its prey with loud shrieks in order to devour it.
19. दृष्ट्वैव सोत्सुकेवाशु प्रगृह्य शिरसि क्षणम् ।
प्रलुनाति जरा देहं कुमारी कैरवं यथा ॥ १९ ॥
As a girl eagerly lays hold on a lotus flower whenever she meets with one, and then plucks it from its stalk and tears it to pieces, so does old age overtake the body of a person and break it down at last.
20. सीत्कारकारिणी पांसुपरुषा परिजर्जरम् ।
शरीरं शातयत्येषा वात्येव तरुपल्लवम् ॥ २० ॥
As the chill blast of winter shakes a tree and covers its leaves with dust, so does old age seize the body with a tremor and fill all its limbs with the rust of diseases.
21. जरसोपहतो देहो धत्ते जर्जरतां गतः ।
तुषारनिकराकीर्णपरिम्लानाम्बुजश्रियम् ॥ २१ ॥
The body overtaken by old age becomes as pale and battered, as a lotus flower beaten by frost becomes withered and shattered.
22. जरा ज्योत्स्नोदितैवेयं शिरःशिखरिपृष्ठतः ।
विकासयति संरब्धं वातकासकुमुद्वती ॥ २२ ॥
As moon-beams contribute to the growth of Kumuda flowers on the top of mountains, so does old age produce grey hairs resembling casla flowers on the heads of men (with inward phlegm and gout).
23. परिपक्वं समालोक्य जराक्षारविधूसरम् ।
शिरःकूष्माण्डकं भुङ्क्ते पुंसां कालः किलेश्वरः ॥ २३ ॥
Death the lord of all beings, views the grey head of a man as a ripe pumpkin seasoned with the salt of old age, and devours it with zest.
24. जराजह्नुसुतोद्युक्ता मूलान्यस्य निकृन्तति ।
शरीरतीरवृक्षस्य चलत्यायुषि सत्वरम् ॥ २४ ॥
As the Ganges upsets a neighbouring tree by its rapid course, so does old age destroy the body, as the current of our life runs fast to decay.
25. जरामार्जारिका भुङ्क्ते यौवनाखुं तथोद्धता ।
परमुल्लासमायाति शरीरामिषगर्धिनी ॥ २५ ॥
Old age which preys on the flesh of the human body, takes as much delight in devouring its youthful bloom as a cat does in feeding upon a mouse.
26. काचिदस्ति जगत्यस्मिन्नामङ्गलकरी तथा ।
यथा जराक्रोशकरी देहजङ्गलजम्बुकी ॥ २६ ॥
Decrepitude raises its ominous hoarse sound of hiccough in the body, as the jackal sends forth her hideous cry amidst the forest.
27. कासश्वासससीत्कारा दुःखधूमतमोमयी ।
जराज्वाला ज्वलत्येषा यस्यासौ दग्ध एव हि ॥ २७ ॥
Dotage as an inward flame consumes the living body as a wet log of wood, which thereupon emits its hissing sounds of hiccough and hard breathing, and sends up the gloomy fumes of woe and sighs.
28. जरसा वक्रतामेति शुक्लावयवपल्लवा ।
तात तन्वी तनुर्नृणां लता पुष्पानता यथा ॥ २८ ॥
The body like a flowering creeper, bends down under the pressure of age, turns to grey like the fading leaves of a plant, and becomes as lean and thin as a plant after its flowering time is over.
29. जराकर्पूरधवलं देहकर्पूरपादपम् ।
मुने मरणमातङ्गो नूनमुद्धरति क्षणात् ॥ २९ ॥
As the infuriate elephant upsets the white plantain tree in a moment, so does old age destroy the body that becomes as white as camphor all over.
30. मरणस्य मुने राज्ञो जराधवलचामरा ।
आगच्छतोऽग्रे निर्याति स्वाधिव्याधिपताकिनी ॥ ३० ॥
Senility, O sage! is as the standard bearer of the king of death, flapping his chowry of grey hairs before him, and bringing in his train an army of diseases and troubles.
31. न जिताः शत्रुभिः संख्ये प्रविष्टा येऽद्रिकोटरे ।
ते जराजीर्णराक्षस्या पश्याशु विजिता मुने ॥ ३१ ॥
The monster of old age, will even overcome those that were never defeated in wars by their enemies, and those that hide themselves in the inaccessible caverns of mountains.
32. जरातुषारवलिते शरीरसदनान्तरे ।
शक्नुवन्त्यक्षशिशवः स्पन्दितुं न मनागपि ॥ ३२ ॥
As infants cannot play in a room that has become cold with snow, so the senses can have no play in the body that is stricken with age.
33. दण्डतृतीयपादेन प्रस्खलन्ती मुहुर्मुहुः ।
कासाधोवायुमुरजा जरा योषित्प्रनृत्यति ॥ ३३ ॥
Old age like a juggling girl, struts on three legs at the sound of coughing and whiffing, beating as a tymbal on both sides.
34. संसारसंसृतेरस्या गन्धकुट्यां शिरोगता ।
देहयष्ट्यां जरानाम्नी चामरश्रीर्विराजते ॥ ३४ ॥
The tuft of grey hairs on the head of the aged body, represents a white flapper (chowry) fastened to the top of a handle of white sandal wood, to welcome the despot of death.
35. जराचन्द्रोदयसिते शरीरनगरे स्थिते ।
क्षणाद्विकासमायाति मुने मरणकैरवम् ॥ ३५ ॥
As hoary age makes his advance like moon-light on the site of the body, he calls forth the hidden death to come out of it, as the moon-light makes the nilumbium to unfold its buds.
36. जरासुधालेपसिते शरीरान्तःपुरान्तरे ।
अशक्तिरार्तिरापच्च तिष्ठन्ति सुखमङ्गनाः ॥ ३६ ॥
Again as the white wash of old age whitens the outer body, so debility, diseases and dangers become its inmates in the inner typo apartment.
37. अभावोऽग्रेसरी यत्र जरा जयति जन्तुषु ।
कस्तत्रेह समाश्वासो मम मन्दमतेर्मुने ॥ ३७ ॥
It is the extinction of being that is preceded by old age; therefore I as a man of little understanding, can have no reliance in old age (though extolled by some)
38. किं तेन दुर्जीवितदुर्ग्रहेण जरागतेनापि हि जीव्यते यत् ।
जराजगत्यामजिता जनानां सर्वैषणास्तात तिरस्करोति ॥ ३८ ॥
What then is the good of this miserable life, which lives under the subjection of old age? Senility is irresistable in this world, and defies all efforts to avoid or overcome it.
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