Shloka 24
Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 85: Āṣṭaka–Yayāti संवादः
Merit-Exhaustion, Rebirth, and the Critique of Pride
अनुरुवाच जीर्ण: शिशुवदादत्तेडकाले5न्नमशुचिर्यथा | न जुहोति च कालेडग्निं तां जरां नाभिकामये,अनु बोले--पिताजी! बूढ़ा मनुष्य बच्चोंकी तरह असमयमें भोजन करता है, अपवित्र रहता है तथा समयपर अग्निहोत्र नहीं करता, अतः ऐसी वृद्धावस्थाको मैं नहीं लेना चाहता
anuruvāca jīrṇaḥ śiśuvad ādattē ’kāle ’nnam aśucir yathā | na juhoti ca kāle ’gnim tāṃ jarāṃ nābhikāmaye ||
అను పలికెను—వృద్ధుడు శిశువులా అకాలంలో భోజనం చేస్తాడు, అపవిత్రంగా ఉంటాడు; సమయానికి అగ్నిలో హోమం చేయడు. అటువంటి జర (వృద్ధాప్యం) నాకు ఇష్టం లేదు।
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse upholds disciplined living as part of dharma: timely conduct, ritual purity, and regular performance of daily sacred duties (like offerings into the fire). It warns that old age becomes undesirable when it leads to childish lack of restraint and neglect of obligatory rites.
In Vaiśampāyana’s narration, an aged speaker responds by describing the signs of a degraded senility—eating at improper times, remaining impure, and failing to perform fire-offerings on time—and declares that he does not wish for such an old age.