Shloka 121
Devanagari script
कौमाराद् यौवन चापि स्थावीर्य चापि यौवनात् | अनेन क्रमयोगेन पूर्व पूर्व न लभ्यते
Transliteration
kaumārād yauvanaṃ cāpi sthāvīryaṃ cāpi yauvanāt | anena kramayogena pūrvaṃ pūrvaṃ na labhyate ||
Translation
कौमाराद् यौवनं चापि स्थावीर्यं चापि यौवनात्। अनेन क्रमयोगेन पूर्वं पूर्वं न लभ्यते॥
Word by Word
कौमारात्from boyhood
कौमारात्:
Apadana
TypeNoun
Rootकौमार
FormNeuter, Ablative, Singular
यौवनम्youth
यौवनम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootयौवन
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
चand
च:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच
अपिalso/even
अपि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि
स्थावीर्यम्old age
स्थावीर्यम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootस्थावीर्य
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
चand
च:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच
अपिalso/even
अपि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि
यौवनात्from youth
यौवनात्:
Apadana
TypeNoun
Rootयौवन
FormNeuter, Ablative, Singular
अनेनby this
अनेन:
Karana
TypePronoun
Rootइदम्
FormMasculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular
क्रमयोगेनby the connection/orderly sequence
क्रमयोगेन:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootक्रमयोग
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Singular
पूर्वम्the earlier (stage)
पूर्वम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootपूर्व
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
पूर्वम्the earlier (stage)
पूर्वम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootपूर्व
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
नnot
न:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन
लभ्यतेis obtained/attained
लभ्यते:
TypeVerb
Rootलभ्
FormPresent, Passive, Third, Singular
Speaker
भीष्य उवाच
Characters & Entities
B
BhīṣmaCharacter Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
Life moves in an irreversible sequence—childhood to youth to old age—so one should not postpone dharma, learning, restraint, and inner cultivation, since earlier capacities and opportunities do not return once lost.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on righteous living and wisdom after the war; here he emphasizes the one-way flow of time and the need to act rightly while one has strength and clarity.