(17) Condemnation of old age

[Condemnation of old age]

EXTRACT FROM VAIRAAGYA PRAKARANAM

अपर्याप्तं हि बालत्वं बलात्पिबति यौवनं यौवनं च जरा पश्चात्प​श्य कर्कशतां मिथः ।

Youth forcefully swallows the childhood since it is not satisfactory; youth is swallowed by the old age later on! Observe the harshness of each towards the other!

{A child grows into a youth with so many dreams of fulfilling countless desires; but before much is achieved, one starts becoming old, left back with the same unfulfilled desires.)

हिमाशनिरिवाम्भोजं वात्येव शरदम्बुकं देहं जरा नाशयति नदी तीरतरुं यथा ।

जर्जरीकृतसर्वाङ्गी जरा जरठरूपिणी विरूपतां नयत्याशु देहं विषलवो यथा ।

शिथिलादीर्घसर्वाङ्गं जराजीर्णकलेवरं समं पश्यन्ति कामिन्यः पुरुषं करभं यथा ।

The old age destroys the body like the hailstone falling on the lotus, like the wind destroying the drop of water stuck to the grass tip, like the flooding river uprooting a tree on the bank. Old age which is harshness incarnate, shatters the limbs of a man completely and leads to distortion in the body like one fed by a drop of deadly poison. The attractive girls look at a man whose limbs are all dilapidated in a body worn out by oldage (and feel disgusted with him) as seeing an ugly camel.

अनायासकदर्थिन्या गृहीते जरसा जने पलाय्य गच्छति प्रज्ञा सपत्न्येवाहताङ्गना । दासाः पुत्राः स्त्रियश्चैव बान्धवाः सुहृदस्तथा हसन्त्युन्मुक्तकमिव नरं वार्धककंपितं ।

When a man is caught by old age which quickly brings about a state of wretchedness, wisdom takes speed and goes off like the angry first wife runs away at the sight of the second wife.Servants, sons, women, relatives and friends laugh at a man trembling with the onset of old age as if at a mad man!

दुःप्रेक्ष्यं जरठं दीनं हीनं गुणपराक्रमैर्गृध्रो वृक्षमिवादीर्घं गर्धो ह्यभ्येति वृद्धकम् ।दैन्यदोषमयी दीर्घा हृदि दाहप्रदायिनी स​र्वापदामेकसखी वार्धके वर्धते स्पृहा ।

‘Extreme hankering for sense pleasures’ (Gardha) take hold of the old age like vulture (Grdhra) seeking the tall dry tree; (both the tree and the aged person are) unpleasant for the eyes; old and rotting; wretched; bereft of all the valorous virtues. ‘Covetousness’ (Sprhaa) increases in the old age; is the one and only female friend leading towards all sorts of harms; makes one wretched because of not getting fulfilled; and gives a pathetic appearance; stays for long (till the last breath).

कर्तव्यं किं मया कष्टं परत्रेत्यतिदारुणमप्रतीकारयोग्यं हि वार्धके वर्धते भयं । कोsहं वराकः किमिव करोमि कथमेव च तिष्ठामि मौनमेवेति दीनतोदेति वार्धके । कथं कदा मे किमिव स्वादु स्यादभोजनम्जनादित्यजस्रं जरा चैषा चेतो दहति वार्धके ।

‘What should I do now? What will happen to me after death?” such fears haunt the mind of the old, where no remedy is possible. ‘Ah how wretched I have become, what shall I do, how am I going to survive, better remain silent and keep away from all’ such a pitiable state rises in the old age. ‘How, when and what tasty food will be given next?’ only such thoughts of lowly pleasures burn the mind in the old age.

गर्धोभ्युदेति सोल्लासमुपभोक्तुं न शक्यते ह्रदयं दह्यते नूनं शक्तिदौस्थ्येन वार्धके ।  

Greedy desires rise up bringing up merriment; but are not capable of getting fulfilled as enjoyments; the heart burns indeed by the decline of strength in the old age.

जराजीर्णबकी यावत्कायक्लेशापकरिणी रौति रोगोरगाकीर्णा कायद्रुमशिरःस्थिता तावदागतैवाशु कुतोऽपि परिदृश्यते घनान्ध्यतिमिराकांक्षी मुने मरणकौशिकः ।

Hey Muni, the female crane worn out by old age, suffering through many pains in the body, cries pitiably with the snakes of diseases crawling all over her, staying on top of the dry tree. The Death-owl (hearing the cries of the crane) comes off from somewhere and pushes it into the extreme faint state of blinding darkness.

सायंसंध्यां प्रजातां वै तमः समनुधावति जरां वपुषि दृष्ट्वैव मृतिः समनुधावति । जराकुसुमितं देहद्रुमं दृष्ट्वैव दूरतः अध्यापतति वेगेन मुने मरणमर्कटः ।

As soon as the evening arrives, the darkness follows from behind; as soon as the old age is seen in the body, death follows from behind. Hey Muni, as soon as the body-tree is filled with the (white) blossoms of old age, the Death-monkey pounces on it with great speed (to only destroy it).

शून्यं नगरमाभाति भाति छिन्नलतो द्रुमः  भात्यनावृष्टिमान्देशो न जराजर्जरं वपुः । क्षणान्निगरणायैव कासक्वणितकरिणी गृध्रीवामिषमादत्ते तरसैव नरं जरा ।

Even a deserted city has some beauty; even a tree which has lost its creeper may look pleasing; even a country without rains might be bearable to look at; but not the body stuck by old age.

Like a vulture seizing a prey by its neck, old age quickly seizes a man by the neck thus making him cough, to only swallow him immediately.

दृष्ट्वैव सोत्सुकेवाशु प्रगृह्य शिरसि क्षणं प्रलुनाति जरा देहं कुमारी कैरवं यथा ।

The moment it is sighted, the young girl plucks off the white lotus with great excitement; so also the old age sees the white-haired head and immediately plucks it off. 

सीत्कारकारिणी पांसुपरुषा परिजर्जरं शरीरं शातयत्येषा वात्येव तरुपल्लवम् ।

The wind shakes a tree with its leaves, makes whooshing sounds come out of it, and makes it covered by harsh sand; so also  the old age makes a man breathe hard, makes his body shiver, and makes the skin wrinkled and rough.

जरसोपहतो देहो धत्ते जर्जरतां गतः तुषारनिकराकीर्णपरिम्लानाम्बुजश्रियं ।

जरा ज्योत्स्नोदितैवेयं शिरःशिखरिपृष्टतः विकासयति संरब्धं वातकासकुमुद्वती ।

पर्रिपक्वं समालोक्य जराक्षारविधूसरम्शिरःकूष्माण्डकं भुङ्ग्ते पुंसां कालः किलेश्वरः ।

जराजह्नुसुतोद्युक्ता मूलान्यस्य निकृन्तति शरीरतीरवृक्षस्य चलत्यायुषि सत्वरम् ।

The body which is stuck by old age is worn out all over and bears the beauty of the lotus hit by a heavy snow-fall. The moment the moonlight of old age appears, the creeper of white lotus instantly blooms up with flowers atop the peak of the head. The Master Kaala (Death) eats off the head-pumpkin turning white, thinking it to be well-ripened. Gangaa of old age flowing speedily uproots the body-tree growing on the bank, thus making the life go away fast.

जरामार्जारिका भुङ्क्ते यौवनाखुं तथोद्दता परमुल्लासमायाति शरीरामिषगर्धिनी ।

The cat of old age desirous of eating the flesh of the body eats off the youth-mouse (which is already eating off the body) and then rejoices by consuming the entire body.

काचिदस्ति जगत्यस्मिन्नामङ्गलकरी तथा यथा जराक्रोशकरी देहजङ्गलजम्बुकी । There is nothing so inauspicious in this world like the old age (making one cough and breathe hard with noise) ; it is as if the female jackal is howling aloud wandering all over the body-jungle like an ill omen.

कास​श्वासससीत्कारा दुःखधूततमोमयी जराज्वाला जलत्येषा यस्यासौ दग्ध एव हि ।

When the flames of old age burn the body wet with various liquids oozing from all the holes of the body, like a damp log of wood by fire, they make the man cough and breathe hard (with whooshing and crackling noises); dark smoke rises from the wet wood making the eyes shed out tears; and the man slowly gets burnt to death, suffering through it all (like the wet-wood slowly turning into ashes).

जरसा वक्रतामेति शुक्लावयपल्लवा तात तन्वी तनुर्नृणां लता पुष्पानता यथा ।

Hey ‘Taata’(dear one), the delicate body of a man, with its white pale blossoms of limbs, bends down by the old age like a creeper bending down by the weight of flowers.

जराकर्पूरधवलं देहकर्पूरपादपं मुने मरणमातङ्गो नूनमुद्धरति क्षणात् ।

Death-elephant uproots the plantain tree of the body which is white like camphor because of old age.

मरणस्य मुने राज्ञ्नो जराधवलचामराऽऽगच्छतोऽग्रे निर्याति स्वाधिव्याधिपताकिनी ।

When Death, the great emperor arrives, the old age acts as the white royal chowrie; the armies of diseases and mental afflictions holding aloft the king’s flag walk in the front.

न जिताः शत्रुभि: संख्ये प्रविष्टा येऽद्रिकोटरे ते जराजीर्णराक्षस्या पश्याशु विजिता मुने ।

Those who hid in the hollows of the mountains at times of war and were not conquered by the enemies get conquered by the demoness of old age and decay, observe hey Muni!

जरातुषारवलिते शरीरसदनान्तरे शक्नुवन्त्यक्ष​शिशवः स्पन्दितुं न मनागपि ।

Inside the body-house covered by snow all over, the sense-children trapped within cannot move at all in the least.  

दण्डतृतीयपादेन प्रस्खलन्ती मुहुर्मुहुः कासाधोवायुमुरजा जरायोषित्प्र​नृत्यति ।

Slipping on the third leg (stick held by old people) again and again, the lady named old age dances to the drumming sound of cough and flatulence.

संसारसंसृतेरस्या गन्धकुट्यां शिरोगता देहयष्ट्यां जरानाम्नी चामरश्रीर्विराजते ।

The chowries named old age look beautiful kept on the top portion (head) of the body-stick plastered by many smelly unguents, in the house owned by the Samsaara-master.

जराचन्द्रोदयसिते शरीरनगरे स्थिते क्षणाद्विकासमायाति मुने मरणकैरवम् । जरासुधालेपसिते शरीरान्तःपुरान्तरे अशक्तिरार्तिरापच्च​तिष्टन्ति सुखमङ्गनाः ।

When the body-city stays white by the rising moon of old age, hey Muni, the death-lily instantly blooms up. When the harem of the body is painted white by old age, the ladies namely weakness, dependence and dangers stay happily inside.

अभावोऽग्रेसरी यत्र जरा जयति जन्तुषु कस्तत्रेह समाश्वासो मम मन्दमतेर्मुने । किं तेन दुर्जीवितदुर्ग्रहेण जरां गतेनापि हि जीव्यते यत्जरा जगत्यामजिता जनानां सर्वेषणास्तात तिरस्करोति ।

Where the old age which precedes the death always conquers all bodies, what consolation does a dullard like me have in this life, Hey Muni?  What to say of the old age where one continues to live even after becoming old, holding on to the horrifying life! All the efforts of men to conquer it in this world are wasteful; and old age remains unconquerable dear one!