Shloka 7

Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 85: Āṣṭaka–Yayāti संवादः

Merit-Exhaustion, Rebirth, and the Critique of Pride

Devanagari script

अशक्तः कार्यकरणे परिभूत: स यौवतै: । सहोपजीविभिशश्लैव तां जरां नाभिकामये,बुढ़ापेमें काम-काज करनेकी शक्ति नहीं रहती, युवतियाँ तथा जीविका पानेवाले सेवक भी तिरस्कार करते हैं; अतः मैं वृद्धावस्था नहीं लेना चाहता

Transliteration

aśaktaḥ kāryakaraṇe paribhūtaḥ sa yauvataiḥ | sahopajīvibhiś caiva tāṃ jarāṃ nābhikāmaye ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dit : «Dans la vieillesse, on devient incapable d’accomplir ses tâches et ses devoirs ; les jeunes vous méprisent, et même les dépendants et les serviteurs qui vivent de votre soutien vous traitent avec dédain. C’est pourquoi je ne désire pas accepter une telle vieillesse.»

Word by Word

अशक्तःincapable, powerless

कार्यकरणेin the doing of work (work-performance)

परिभूतःinsulted, despised

सःhe

यौवतैःby the young (youths/young people)

सहtogether with

उपजीविभिःby dependents, livelihood-seekers

श्लैवand indeed (reading uncertain)

ताम्that

जराम्old age

नnot

अभिकामयेI desire, I wish for

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

the young (yauvatāḥ)

dependents/servants (upajīvinaḥ)

old age (jarā)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the vulnerability of old age—loss of capacity and social regard—and implicitly urges ethical reflection on how society treats the aged, while also pointing toward detachment from bodily decline.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana, in the course of narration, voices a reflection on the hardships of senescence: inability to act effectively and the contempt shown by younger people and even dependents; he concludes that such old age is undesirable.