Shloka 16
या दुस्त्यजा दुर्मतिभिर्जीर्यतो या न जीर्यते । तां तृष्णां दु:खनिवहां शर्मकामो द्रुतं त्यजेत् ॥ १६ ॥
yā dustyajā durmatibhir jīryato yā na jīryate tāṁ tṛṣṇāṁ duḥkha-nivahāṁ śarma-kāmo drutaṁ tyajet
That craving, hard to abandon for the misguided and not worn away even by old age, is a heap of sorrows. One who truly seeks happiness should swiftly renounce that unsatisfied thirst, the cause of all tribulation.
We have actually seen, especially in the Western countries, that men who have reached more than eighty years of age still go to nightclubs and pay heavy fees to drink wine and associate with women. Although such men are too old to enjoy anything, their desires have not ceased. Time deteriorates even the body itself, which is the medium for all sensual satisfaction, but even when a man becomes old and invalid, his desires are strong enough to dictate that he go here and there to satisfy the desires of his senses. Therefore, by the practice of bhakti-yoga, one should give up his lusty desires. As explained by Śrī Yāmunācārya:
FAQs
This verse says material craving is extremely hard to renounce for the misguided, never diminishes even as the body ages, and is a heap of misery—therefore it should be quickly given up by one seeking real peace.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī speaks this instruction while narrating the Ninth Canto to Mahārāja Parīkṣit, emphasizing detachment from insatiable desire.
Notice desires that keep multiplying (more consumption, status, pleasure) and consciously practice restraint—simplify needs, cultivate devotion and remembrance of Bhagavān, and redirect longing toward lasting spiritual peace.