यावत्तिष्ठति तारुण्यं तावद्भुंजंति मानवाः । सुखभोगादिकं सर्वं स्वेच्छया रमते नरः
As long as youth remains, people enjoy all pleasures; a man delights in everything as he wishes.
यावत्तिष्ठति तारुण्यं तावद्भोगान्प्रभुंजते । वयस्यपि गते भद्रे तारुण्ये किं करिष्यति
As long as youth endures, they master pleasures; but when age comes, O good lady, what use is youth then?
संप्राप्ते वार्द्धके देवि किंचित्कार्यं न सिध्यति । स्थविरश्चिंतयेन्नित्यं सुखकार्यं न गच्छति
When old age arrives, O goddess, no undertaking succeeds; the old man always worries, and happiness does not come.
वयस्यपि गते बाले क्रियते सेतुबंधनम् । तादृशोयं भवेत्कायस्तारुण्ये तु गते शुभे
When age has come, O girl, even building a bridge is attempted; such is the body when youth has passed, O auspicious one.
तस्माद्भुंक्ष्व सुखेनापि पिबस्व मधुमाधवीम् । कामाबाणा दहंत्यंगं तवेमे चारुलोचने
Therefore, enjoy yourself in comfort, drink the sweet honeyed wine; O beautiful-eyed one, the arrows of desire are burning your body.
अयमेकः समायातः पुरुषो रूपवान्गुणी । अयं हि पुरुषव्याघ्रः सर्वज्ञो गुणवान्धनी
Here has come a single man, handsome and virtuous; indeed, this man is a tiger among men, all-knowing, endowed with qualities, and wealthy.
तवार्थे नित्यसंयुक्तः स्नेहेन वरवर्णिनि । सुकलोवाच- बाल्यं नास्त्यपि जीवस्य तारुण्यं नास्ति जीविते
He is always devoted to you, O woman of excellent complexion, with affection for your sake. Sukala said: There is no childhood for the living being, nor is there youth in life.
वृद्धत्वं नास्ति चैवास्य स्वयंसिद्धः सुसिद्धिदः । अमरो निर्जरो व्यापी सुसिद्धः सर्ववित्तमः
There is no old age for him either; he is self-accomplished, bestower of perfect success, immortal, ageless, all-pervading, perfectly accomplished, and the best among the wise.
अकामः कामदो लोके आत्मरूपेण वर्तते । यथा गेहस्य संस्थानं तथा कायस्य दृश्यते
Desireless, yet he grants desires in the world, abiding in his own form; as is the structure of a house, so is the appearance of the body.
यथा वार्द्धकिना कायस्तथा सूत्रेण मंदिरम् । अनेककाष्ठसंघातैर्नाना दारुसमुच्चयैः
Just as a house is constructed with a framework of string, with many assemblies of wood and various collections of timber,
मृत्तिकयोदकेनापि समंतात्परिणामयेत् । लिपितं लेपकैः काष्ठं चित्रं भवति चित्रकैः
And by means of clay and water it is shaped all around; wood, when coated with plaster, becomes beautiful with decorations.
प्रथमं रूपमायाति गृहं सूत्रेण सूत्रितम् । पुष्णंति च स्वयं तत्तु लेपनाद्वै दिने दिने
First, the form appears, the house is measured with string; and it is nourished day by day by the application of plaster.
वायुनांदोलितं नित्यं गृहं च मलिनायते । मध्यमो वर्तुतः कालो गृहस्य परिकथ्यते
Constantly shaken by the wind, the house becomes dirty; in the middle period, the age of the house is described.
रूपहानिर्भवेत्तस्य गृहस्वामी विलेपयेत् । स्वेच्छया च गृहस्वामी रूपवत्त्वं नयेद्गृहम्
Its beauty fades, and the master of the house applies plaster; and at his own will, the master brings the house to a state of beauty.
तारुण्यं तस्य गेहस्य दूतिके परिकथ्यते । काष्ठसंघैश्च जीर्णत्वं बहुकालैः प्रयाति सः
The youth of that house, O messenger, is described; and with the assemblies of wood, over much time, it becomes worn out.
स्थानभ्रष्टाः प्रजायंते मूलाग्रे प्रचलंति ते । न सहेल्लेपनाभारमाधारेण प्रतिष्ठति
The parts at the base become loose and begin to move; unable to bear the weight of the plaster, it does not stand firm.
एतद्गृहस्य वार्द्धक्यं कथितं शृणु दूतिके । पतमानं गृहं दृष्ट्वा गृहस्वामी परित्यजेत्
Thus, the old age of the house has been described, listen, O messenger; seeing the house collapsing, the master abandons it.
गृहमन्यं प्रवेशाय प्रयात्येव हि सत्वरम् । तथा बाल्यं च तारुण्यं नृणां वृद्धत्वमेव च
He quickly goes to enter another house; in the same way, childhood, youth, and old age come to people.
स बाल्ये बालरूपश्च ज्ञानहीनं प्रकारयेत् । चित्रयेत्कायमेवापि वस्त्रालंकारभूषणैः
In childhood, he displays the form of a child, lacking knowledge; he adorns the body itself with clothes and ornaments.
लेपनैश्चंदनैश्चान्यैस्तांबूलप्रभवादिभिः । कायस्तरुणतां याति अतिरूपो विजायते
With ointments, sandalwood, and other things arising from betel, the body attains youth and becomes exceedingly handsome.
बाह्याभ्यंतरमेवापि रसैः सर्वैः प्रपोषयेत् । तेन पोषणभावेन परिपुष्टः प्रजायते
He nourishes both the outer and inner parts with all kinds of essences; through this nourishment, he becomes fully developed.
जायते मांसवृद्धिस्तु रसैश्चापि नवोत्तमा । यांति विस्तरतां राजन्नंगान्याप्यायितान्यपि
There arises an increase of flesh, and new, excellent juices as well; the limbs, O king, become expanded and well-nourished.
प्रत्यंगानि रसैश्चैव स्वंस्वं रूपं प्रयांति वै । दंताधरौ स्तनौ बाहू कटिपृष्ठमुरू उभे
Each limb assumes its own form through its respective essence: the teeth, lips, breasts, arms, waist, back, thighs—both sides alike.
हस्तपादतलौ तद्वद्वृद्धित्वं प्रतिपेदिरे । उभाभ्यामपि तान्येव वृद्धिमायांति तानि वै
Likewise, the palms and soles attain growth; both of these also increase in size as time passes.
अंगानि रसमांसाभ्यां सुरूपाणि भवंति ते । तैः स्वरूपैर्भवेन्मर्त्यो रसबद्धश्च दूतिके
The limbs become beautiful through essence and flesh; with these forms, a mortal exists, bound by essence, O messenger.
सुरूपः कथ्यते मर्त्यो लोके केन प्रियो भवेत् । विष्ठामूत्रस्य वै कोशः काय एष च दूतिके
A mortal is called beautiful in the world—by what means does he become dear? This body, O messenger, is merely a vessel for excrement and urine.
अपवित्रशरीरोयं सदा स्रवति निर्घृणः । तस्य किं वर्ण्यते रूपं जलबुद्बुदवच्छुभे
This body is impure, always oozing and pitiless; what beauty can be described in it, O beautiful one, for it is like a bubble of water.
यावत्पंचाशद्वर्षाणि तावत्तिष्ठति वै दृढः । पश्चाच्च जायते हानिस्तस्यैवापि दिनेदिने
It remains firm for fifty years, but afterwards, decline arises day by day.
दंताः शिथिलतां यांति तथा लालायते मुखम् । चक्षुर्भ्यामपि पश्येन्न कर्णाभ्यां न शृणोति च
The teeth become loose, the mouth drools; the eyes no longer see, nor do the ears hear.
गतिं कर्तुं न शक्नोति हस्तपादैश्च दूतिके । अक्षमो जायते कायो जराकालेन पीडितः
He cannot move with his hands and feet, O messenger; the body becomes incapable, afflicted by the time of old age.