Shloka 11

Matsya Purana — Yayāti and His Sons: The Exchange of Youth and Old Age

Devanagari script

*तुर्वसुरुवाच न कामये जरां तात कामभोगप्रणाशिनीम् बलरूपान्तकरणीं बुद्धिमानविनाशिनीम् //

Transliteration

*turvasuruvāca na kāmaye jarāṃ tāta kāmabhogapraṇāśinīm balarūpāntakaraṇīṃ buddhimānavināśinīm //

Translation

Turvasu said: “Father, I do not desire old age—she who destroys the enjoyments of desire, who brings strength and beauty to an end, and who ruins even a man’s intelligence.”

Word by Word

• तुर्वसुः उवाच: Turvasu said

• न: not

• कामये: I desire

• जराम्: old age

• तात: O father

• काम-भोग-प्रणाशिनीम्: destroyer of pleasure-enjoyments born of desire

• बल-रूप-अन्त-करणीम्: that which makes an end of strength and beauty

• बुद्धि-मान-विनाशिनीम्: that which destroys the intelligence of a person (even of the wise)

Speaker

• Turvasu (son of King Yayati)

Entities Mentioned

• Turvasu
• Yayati
• Jara (Old Age)

Tags

• Dynasties
• Genealogy
• Ethics
• Desire
• Aging

FAQs

What does this verse reveal about the creation or dissolution (Pralaya)?

This verse does not discuss pralaya or cosmogony; it is a moral-psychological statement within the Yayati lineage episode, portraying old age as the force that ends sensual enjoyment, vigor, and mental sharpness.

How does this verse relate to the duties of a King or Householder?

It reflects the puranic warning that kāma-driven life is fragile and time-bound; for a king or householder, it implies the need to govern desires, cultivate dharma, and prepare for life’s later stages rather than clinging to youth and pleasure.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No vastu, temple-building, or ritual procedure is mentioned in this verse; its focus is ethical reflection on aging (jarā) and the decline of sensual capacity, strength, and intellect.