Shloka 66
Adhyāya 6: Vidura’s Saṃsāra-Upamā
The Allegory of the Well, Time, and Desire
Devanagari script
तामाहुस्तु जरां प्राज्ञा रूपवर्णविनाशिनीम् । जो सर्प कहे गये हैं, वे नाना प्रकारके रोग हैं। उस वनकी सीमापर जो विशालकाय नारी खड़ी थी, उसे विद्वान पुरुष रूप और कान्तिका विनाश करनेवाली वृद्धावस्था बताते हैं
Transliteration
tām āhus tu jarāṃ prājñā rūpavarṇavināśinīm |
Translation
तामाहुस्तु जरां प्राज्ञा रूपवर्णविनाशिनीम् ।
Word by Word
ताम्her/that (woman)
ताम्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
आहुःthey said/called
आहुः:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootअह् (ब्रू/वद्-अर्थे) / √अह्
FormPerfect (Paroksha/लिट्), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada
तुbut/indeed
तु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु
जराम्old age/decay
जराम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootजरा
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
प्राज्ञाःthe wise (men)
प्राज्ञाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootप्राज्ञ
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
रूपवर्णविनाशिनीम्destroyer of beauty and complexion
रूपवर्णविनाशिनीम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootरूपवर्णविनाशिनी
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
Speaker
विदुर उवाच
Characters & Entities
V
ViduraJ
Jarā (Old Age)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
Outward beauty and social power are fragile; old age inevitably destroys them. Therefore one should ground life in dharma and inner discipline rather than in transient appearance.
Within an allegorical description, a gigantic woman seen at the forest’s boundary is interpreted by the wise as Jarā (Old Age), personifying the unavoidable decline that confronts all beings.