Shloka 32

नरनारायण-नारदसंवादः

Nara-Nārāyaṇa–Nārada Discourse on Vision, Elements, and Entry into Vāsudeva

Devanagari script

ते पिबन्त: कषायांश्र सर्पीषि विविधानि च । दृश्यन्ते जरया भग्ना नगा नागैरिवोत्तमै:,वे तरह-तरहके काढ़े और नाना प्रकारके घी पीते रहते हैं, तो भी बड़े-बड़े हाथी जैसे वृक्षोंको झुका देते हैं, वैसे ही वृद्धावस्था उनकी कमर टेढ़ी कर देती है; यह देखा जाता है

Transliteration

te pibantaḥ kaṣāyāṁś ca sarpīṁṣi vividhāni ca | dṛśyante jarayā bhagnā nagā nāgair ivottamaiḥ ||

Translation

ಅವರು ವಿಧವಿಧವಾದ ಕಷಾಯಗಳನ್ನೂ ನಾನಾ ರೀತಿಯ ಸರ್ಪಿಷ್ (ತುಪ್ಪ)ನ್ನೂ ಕುಡಿಯುತ್ತಲೇ ಇದ್ದರೂ, ಜರೆಯಿಂದ ಮುರಿದವರಾಗಿ ಕಾಣುತ್ತಾರೆ—ಉತ್ತಮ ಆನೆಗಳು ಪರ್ವತಗಳನ್ನು ವಾಲಿಸಿ ಚೂರುಮೂರು ಮಾಡುವಂತೆ।

Word by Word

तेthey (those)

पिबन्तःdrinking

कषायान्decoctions, astringent brews

सर्पीषिghee, clarified butter

विविधानिvarious, manifold

चand

दृश्यन्तेare seen, appear

जरयाby old age

भग्नाःbroken, bent, infirm

नगाःmountains (also: trees, in some contexts)

नागैःby elephants (also: by great serpents, context-dependent)

इवlike, as

उत्तमैःby the best, by excellent (ones)

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Narada

kaṣāya (medicinal decoctions)

sarpis (ghee)

naga (mountains)

nāga (elephants)

jarā (old age)

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?

Old age is unavoidable: even sustained use of medicines and nourishing substances cannot prevent the body from being bent and weakened by time. The verse encourages sober realism, humility, and detachment from bodily pride.

What is happening in the narrative?

Narada illustrates the power of senescence with a vivid simile: people drink decoctions and ghee as remedies, yet they are still visibly broken by old age, just as mountains are battered by mighty elephants.