Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 21
The Exposition of Spiritual Knowledge
Jñāna-pradarśanam
जीर्यन्ति जीर्यतः केशाः दन्ताः जीर्यन्ति जीर्यतः । चक्षुःश्रोत्रे च जोर्येते तृष्णैका तरुणायते ॥ २१ ॥
jīryanti jīryataḥ keśāḥ dantāḥ jīryanti jīryataḥ | cakṣuḥśrotre ca joryete tṛṣṇaikā taruṇāyate || 21 ||
വയസ്സാകുമ്പോൾ മുടി ജീർണ്ണമാകുന്നു, വയസ്സാകുമ്പോൾ പല്ലുകൾ ക്ഷയിക്കുന്നു; കണ്ണും ചെവിയും മങ്ങുന്നു—എന്നാൽ തൃഷ്ണ മാത്രം പുതുമയോടെ യുവത്വം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു।
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
FAQs
It highlights a core moksha-teaching: the body and senses inevitably decline, but desire can intensify unless restrained; therefore liberation requires mastering tṛṣṇā through discernment and detachment.
By exposing craving as the ever-renewing inner enemy, the verse implicitly directs the mind to replace sense-thirst with single-pointed devotion—channeling longing toward Vishnu-bhakti rather than transient pleasures.
No specific Vedanga (like Vyakarana, Shiksha, or Jyotisha) is taught directly; the practical takeaway is ethical discipline—guarding the senses and reducing craving, which supports vrata-observance and steady spiritual practice.