Shloka 27

Devanagari script

जराजर्जरदेहश् च शिथिलावयवः पुमान् विचलच्छीर्णदशनो वलिस्नायुशिरावृतः

Transliteration

jarājarjaradehaś ca śithilāvayavaḥ pumān vicalacchīrṇadaśano valisnāyuśirāvṛtaḥ

Translation

And the man—his body worn down by old age—his limbs grown slack, his teeth loosened and broken, becomes unsteady, covered with wrinkles, sinews, and prominent veins.

Word by Word

• जराजर्जरदेहः: a man whose body is worn out by old age
• जराजर्जरदेहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जरया जर्जरः देहः (प्रातिपदिक); जरा + जर्जर + देह
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (जराजर्जरः देहः यस्य)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• शिथिलावयवः: with slack/loose limbs
• शिथिलावयवः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिथिल + अवयव (प्रातिपदिक); शिथिल + अवयव
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः—कर्मधारय (शिथिलाः अवयवाः यस्य)

• पुमान्: a man
• पुमान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुमांस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विचलच्छीर्णदशनः: whose teeth are loose and broken
• विचलच्छीर्णदशनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विचलत् + शीर्ण + दशन (प्रातिपदिक); विचलत्(कृदन्त) + शीर्ण(कृदन्त) + दशन
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः—कर्मधारय (विचलन्ति शीर्णानि दशनानि यस्य)

• वलिस्नायुशिरावृतः: covered with wrinkles, sinews, and veins
• वलिस्नायुशिरावृतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वलि + स्नायु + शिरा + आवृत (प्रातिपदिक); आवृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः—तत्पुरुष (वलि-स्नायु-शिराभिः आवृतः)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya in the frame dialogue)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: The embodied being’s decline under old age as part of the teaching on worldly suffering and impermanence

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: revealing

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Old age exposes the body’s fragility and the inevitability of temporal domination, urging dispassion toward bodily identity.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Contemplate impermanence to reduce attachment; invest in sādhana (japa, dhyāna, service) while health remains.

Vishishtadvaita: The body is perishable, while the self endures as Vishnu’s śeṣa; recognizing this supports surrender (prapatti) beyond bodily pride.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Bhakti Type: Shanta

FAQs

What is the significance of old age (jarā) in this Vishnu Purana verse?

It highlights the inescapable decay of the body under Time, reinforcing that worldly strength and status are temporary and should be guided by dharma and devotion rather than pride.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the human condition through bodily imagery here?

By listing concrete signs—slack limbs, failing teeth, wrinkles, sinews and veins—he makes impermanence undeniable, a narrative tool to detach the listener from mere physical identity.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Purana’s worldview implies that Time and mortality operate within Vishnu’s cosmic order, directing beings toward the enduring refuge beyond bodily change.