Shloka 19
Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 85: Āṣṭaka–Yayāti संवादः
Merit-Exhaustion, Rebirth, and the Critique of Pride
दु्लुस्वाच नगजं न रथं नाश्वं जीर्णो भुड्धक्ते न च स्त्रियम् । वाक्सड्रश्नास्य भवति तां जरां नाभिकामये,द्रह्मु बोले--पिताजी! बूढ़ा मनुष्य हाथी, घोड़े और रथपर नहीं चढ़ सकता; स्त्रीका भी उपभोग नहीं कर सकता। उसकी वाणी भी लड़खड़ाने लगती है; अतः मैं वृद्धावस्था नहीं लेना चाहता
na hi vṛddhaḥ śaknoty āruḍhuṃ nāgaṃ na rathaṃ nāśvaṃ, na ca striyaṃ bhoktum; vāk ca tasya skhalati. tasmād ahaṃ na vṛddhatāṃ kāṅkṣe, jarāṃ nābhikāmaye.
Vaiśampāyana said: “Druhyu replied: ‘Father! A man grown old and infirm cannot mount an elephant, a horse, or a chariot; he cannot enjoy the company of a woman; even his speech begins to falter. Therefore I do not desire senescence—I do not wish to accept the burden of old age.’”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the inevitable decline of physical strength, sensual capacity, and even speech in old age, exposing the fragility of pleasure-based life. It implicitly urges reflection on impermanence and the need to ground one’s aims in what does not perish with the body.
In Vaiśampāyana’s narration, a speaker expresses aversion to old age by listing its losses—no longer being able to ride great vehicles (elephant, horse, chariot), enjoy sexual pleasure, or speak steadily—thereby motivating a wish to avoid senescence.