अपर्याप्तं हि बालत्वं बाल्यं पिबति यौवनम् । यौवनं च जरा पश्चात् पश्य कर्कशतां मिथः
Childhood is insufficient, youth drinks up childhood, and then old age follows youth; see how harshly they succeed one another.
हिमाशनिर् इवाम्भोजं वात्येव शरदम्बुदम् । देहं जरा जरयति सरित् तीरतरुं यथा
Just as frost withers a lotus, or a storm scatters autumn clouds, so old age wears away the body, like a river eroding a tree on its bank.
शिथिलादीर्घसर्वाङ्गं जराजीर्णकलेवरम् । समं पश्यन्ति कामिन्यः पुरुषं करभं तथा
Women regard a man whose body is weakened and elongated by old age as they would an elephant—equally.
श्वासायासकदर्थिन्या गृहीते जरसा जने । पलाय्य गच्छति प्रज्ञा सपत्न्येव हताङ्गना
When a person is seized by old age, afflicted by breathlessness and exhaustion, wisdom flees, just as a defeated co-wife leaves.
दासाः पुत्रास् स्त्रियश् चैव बान्धवास् सुहृदस् तथा । हसन्त्य् उन्मत्तकम् इव नरं वार्द्धककम्पितम्
Servants, sons, wives, relatives, and friends all laugh at the man trembling with old age, as if he were a madman.
दुष्प्रज्ञं जरढं दीनं हीनं गुणपराक्रमैः । गृध्रो वृक्षम् इवादीर्घं गर्धो ह्य् अभ्येति वृद्धताम्
Lacking discernment, aged, miserable, deprived of virtues and vigor, he is approached by old age just as a vulture approaches a long-standing tree.
दैन्यदोषमयी दीर्घा हृदि दाहप्रदायिनी । सर्वापदाम् एकसखी वर्धते वार्द्धके स्पृहा
Longing grows in old age, filled with misery and faults, burning in the heart, the sole companion of all calamities.
कर्तव्यं किं मया कष्टं परत्रेत्य् अतिदारुणम् । अप्रतीकारयोग्यं हि वर्धते वार्द्धके भयम्
What painful duty must I perform in the next world? Terrible fear grows in old age, impossible to counter.
को ऽहं वराकः किम् इव करोमि कथम् एव वा । तिष्ठामि मौनम् एवेति दीनतोदेति वार्द्धके
Who am I, wretched as I am? What do I do, and how do I even exist? I remain in silence alone—such dejection arises in old age.
गर्धो ऽभ्युदेति सोल्लासम् उपभोक्तुं न शक्यते । हृदयं दह्यते नूनं शक्तिदौस्स्थ्येन वार्द्धके
Hunger arises with excitement, but I am unable to enjoy; truly, my heart burns from the utter lack of strength in old age.
जराजीर्णबकी यावत् कासक्रेङ्कारकारिणी । रौति रोगोरगाकीर्णा कायद्रुमशिरस्स्थिता
As long as the old, decrepit crane of age, causing coughs and croaks, cries out, afflicted by the serpents of disease, perched atop the tree of the body—
तावद् आगत एवाशु कुतो ऽपि परिदृश्यते । घनान्धतिमिराकाङ्क्षी मुने मरणकौशिकः
So long, swiftly, from somewhere, the owl of death, longing for dense, blind darkness, is seen approaching, O sage.
सायंसन्ध्या प्रजातैव तमस् समनुधावति । जरा वपुषि दृष्टैव मृतिं समनुधावति
Just as evening twilight, once arisen, pursues darkness, so, when old age is seen in the body, death pursues it.
जराकुसुमितं देहद्रुमं दृष्ट्वैव दूरतः । मृतिभृङ्गी द्रुतं ब्रह्मन् नरस्यायाति सूत्सुका
When the tree of the body is seen from afar blossoming with old age, O Brahman, the bee of death quickly and eagerly approaches the man.
शून्यं नगरम् आभाति भाति च्छिन्नलतो द्रुमः । भात्य् अनावृष्टिमान् देशो न जराजर्जरं वपुः
An empty city appears, a tree with its branches cut appears, a land without rain appears—but not the body battered by old age.
क्षणान् निगिरणायैव कासक्वणितकारिणी । गृध्रीवामिषम् आदत्ते तरसैव नरं जरा
In an instant, to devour, old age, making the sound of coughing, seizes a man with force, just as a vulture snatches flesh.
दृष्ट्वैव सोत्सुकेवाशु प्रगृह्य शिरसि क्षणात् । प्रलुनाति जरा देहं कुमारी कैरवं यथा
Old age, seeing the body with eagerness, swiftly seizes the head in an instant and destroys the body, just as a maiden plucks a waterlily.
सीत्कारकारिणी पांसुपरुषा परिजर्जरम् । शरीरं शातयत्य् एषा वात्येव तरुपल्लवम्
It makes a hissing sound, rough with dust, and shreds the worn-out body, as a storm tears at the tender leaves of a tree.
जरसोपहतो देहो धत्ते जर्जरतां गतः । तुषारनिकराकीर्णपरिम्लानाम्बुजश्रियम्
Struck by old age, the body becomes ruined, resembling a lotus whose beauty has faded, covered with frost and clusters of ice.
जराज्योत्स्नोदितैवेयं शिरश्शिखरिपृष्ठतः । विकासयति संरब्धवातां कासकुमुद्वतीम्
This old age, rising like moonlight, spreads from the crown of the head, unfolding a feverish wind of coughs, like the night-blooming lotus.
परिपक्वं समालोक्य जराक्षारविधूसरम् । शिरःकुष्माण्डकं भुङ्क्ते पुंसः कालः किलेश्वरः
When time, the lord of affliction, sees the head like a ripe gourd, pale with the ashes of old age, he devours it.
जराजह्नुसुतोद्युक्ता मूलान्य् अस्य निकृन्तति । शरीरतीरवृक्षस्य चलस्यायूंषि सत्वरम्
Old age, aided by the daughter of the river (the goddess of death), swiftly cuts the roots of the body-tree, causing the vital forces to waver.
जरामार्जारिका भुक्तयौवनाखुतयैधिता । परम् उल्लासम् आयाति शरीरामिषगर्धिनी
Old age, the sweeper, having consumed youth and kindled the fire of suffering, comes to supreme delight, greedy for the flesh of the body.
काचिद् अस्ति जगत्य् अस्मिन् नामङ्गलकरी तथा । यथा जराक्रोशकरी देहजङ्गलजम्बुकी
There is nothing in this world so inauspicious as old age, the jackal of the body-forest, howling with lamentation.
कासश्वासससीत्कारा दुःखधूमतमोमयी । जराज्वाला ज्वलत्य् एषा ययासौ दग्ध एव हि
Coughs, breathlessness, and sighs, with the smoke and darkness of suffering—this flame of old age burns, by which that one is indeed scorched.
जरसा वक्रताम् एति शुक्लावयवपल्लवा । तात तन्वी तनुर् नॄणां लता पुष्पानता यथा
By old age, the slender body of people, once white and fresh like tender shoots, becomes bent, O dear one, just as a flower-laden vine droops.
जराकर्पूरधवलं देहकर्पूरपादपम् । मुने मरणमातङ्गो नूनम् उद्धरति क्षणात्
The body, white as camphor from the camphor-tree of old age, is surely lifted away in an instant by the elephant of death, O sage.
मरणस्य मुने राज्ञो जराधवलचामरा । आगच्छतो ऽग्रे निर्याति स्वाधिव्याधिपताकिनी
For death, O sage, is a king; the white fan of old age precedes him, and the banner of disease goes forth ahead as he approaches.
न जिताश् शत्रुभिस् सङ्ख्ये ये निष्पिष्टाद्रिकोटयः । ते जराजीर्णराक्षस्या पश्याशु विजिता मुने
Those who were not conquered by enemies in battle, whose mountain fortresses were crushed, see how swiftly they are defeated by the demoness of old age, O sage.
जरातुषारधवले शरीरसदनान्तरे । शक्नुवन्त्य् अक्षशिशवस् स्पन्दितुं न मनाग् अपि
Within the body’s dwelling, whitened by the frost of old age, even the eyes’ pupils cannot move in the slightest.