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.
तद्रसः शोषमायाति जराग्नितापशोषितः । अक्षमो जायते दूति केन रूपत्वमिष्यते
That essence dries up, scorched by the heat of old age; the body becomes incapable, O messenger—how can beauty be desired?
यथा जीर्णं गृहं याति क्षयमेवं न संशयः । तथा संक्षयमायाति वार्द्धके तु कलेवरम्
Just as an old house inevitably decays, so too does the body decline in old age—there is no doubt.
ममरूपं समायातं वर्णस्येवं दिने दिने । केनाहं रूपसंयुक्ता केन रूपत्वमिष्यते
My beauty has faded day by day, just as color does; by whom am I adorned with beauty, by whom is beauty desired?
यथा जीर्णं गृहं याति केनासौ पुरुषो बली । यस्यार्थमागता दूति भवती केन शंसति
Just as an old house decays, by what means is that man strong? For whose sake have you come, O messenger—by whom is he praised?
किमु चैव त्वया दृष्टं ममांगे वद सांप्रतम् । तस्यांगादिह हीनं च दूति नास्त्यधिकं तथा
Tell me now, what have you seen in my limbs? Here, O messenger, my limbs are deficient—there is nothing more.
यथा त्वं च तथासौवै तथाहं नात्र संशयः । कस्य रूपं न विद्येत रूपवान्नास्ति भूतले
Just as you, so is he, and so am I—there is no doubt; whose beauty is not lost? There is no one truly beautiful on earth.
उच्छ्रायाः पतनांताश्च नगास्तु गिरयः शुभे । कालेन पीडिता यांति तद्वद्भूताश्च नान्यथा
Tall trees and mountains, O beautiful one, all fall in time; afflicted by time, they perish, and so do all beings—never otherwise.
अरूपो रूपवान्दिव्य आत्मा सर्वगतः शुचिः । स्थावरेष्वेव सर्वेषु जंगमेषु च दूतिके
The divine Self is formless yet possesses beauty, all-pervading and pure; it dwells in all immobile and mobile beings, O messenger.
एको निवसते शुद्धो घटेष्वेकं यथोदकम् । घटनाशात्प्रयात्येकमेकत्वं त्वं न बुध्यसे
The one pure Self resides alone, just as water in a pot; when the pot is destroyed, it returns to its oneness, but you do not understand.
पिंडनाशादयं चात्मा एकरूपो विजायते । एकं रूपं मया दृष्टं संसारे वसता सदा
When the body perishes, this Self remains single in form; I have always seen one form abiding in the world.