Shloka 4
The Yayāti Episode
with the Glory of Mātā–Pitṛ Tīrtha
एको गृह्णातु मे पुत्रा जरां दुःखप्रदायिनीम् । स्वकं ददातु तारुण्यं यथाकामं चराम्यहम्
eko gṛhṇātu me putrā jarāṃ duḥkhapradāyinīm | svakaṃ dadātu tāruṇyaṃ yathākāmaṃ carāmyaham
എന്റെ പുത്രന്മാരിൽ ഒരാൾ ദുഃഖപ്രദമായ എന്റെ ജര സ്വീകരിക്കട്ടെ; തന്റെ യൗവനം എനിക്ക് തരട്ടെ; അപ്പോൾ ഞാൻ ഇഷ്ടാനുസാരം ജീവിക്കും।
Unspecified (a father addressing his sons; exact speaker not identifiable from the single verse alone)
Primary Rasa: bibhatsa
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Sandhi Resolution Notes: चराम्यहम् = चरामि + अहम्; दुःखप्रदायिनीम् is a तत्पुरुष compound qualifying जराम्; यथाकामम् is अव्ययीभाव (yathā + kāmam).
FAQs
A father expresses a desire to transfer his suffering old age to one son and receive that son’s youth, so he may live according to his own wishes—highlighting human attachment to youth and fear of aging.
It implies a conflict between personal desire (to avoid suffering and keep youth) and fairness or dharma, since shifting one’s burden onto another—even a son—raises questions about responsibility and compassion.
Not directly; this shloka is primarily reflective/ethical, focusing on aging, suffering, and familial dynamics rather than tīrtha description or explicit devotional instruction.