Shloka 29

Devanagari script

अहोरात्रमये लोके जरारूपेण संसरन्‌ । मृत्युग्रसति भूतानि पवन पन्नगो यथा

Transliteration

ahorātramaye loke jarārūpeṇa saṃsaran | mṛtyugrasati bhūtāni pavanaḥ pannago yathā ||

Translation

Parāśara dit : Dans ce monde tissé de jour et de nuit, la Mort erre en prenant la forme de la vieillesse, et elle dévore sans cesse tous les êtres vivants—comme on dit qu’un serpent boit le vent.

Word by Word

• अहोरात्रमये: in the day-and-night-made (i.e., consisting of day and night)
• अहोरात्रमये: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अहोरात्रमय
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• जरारूपेण: in/with the form of old age
• जरारूपेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: जरारूप
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• संसरन्: wandering, moving about
• संसरन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: संसृ
• Form: Present, Singular, Parasmaipada, Present active participle (शतृ), Masculine, Nominative

• मृत्युः: death
• मृत्युः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ग्रसति: devours, swallows
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रस्
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada, Indicative

• भूतानि: beings, creatures
• भूतानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• पवनम्: wind, air
• पवनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पवन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पन्नगः: a serpent
• पन्नगः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पन्नग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यथा: as, just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

Speaker

पराशर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Mṛtyu (Death)
• Jarā (Old age)
• Pavana (Wind)
• Pannaga (Serpent)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Mortality is constant and universal: Death operates through the visible process of aging and consumes all beings without exception. Therefore one should cultivate detachment, right conduct (dharma), and urgency in spiritual and ethical life rather than relying on worldly permanence.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s reflective instruction, the sage Parāśara speaks about the nature of worldly existence. He uses a vivid simile—Death roaming as old age and devouring beings like a serpent ‘drinking’ wind—to impress upon the listener the inevitability of decline and death.