Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 60
Śokanivāraṇa: Non-brooding, Impermanence, Contentment, and Śuka’s Renunciation
ते पिबंति कषायांश्च सर्पीषि विविधानि च । दृश्यंते जरया भग्ना नागैर्नागा इवोत्तमाः ॥ ६० ॥
te pibaṃti kaṣāyāṃśca sarpīṣi vividhāni ca | dṛśyaṃte jarayā bhagnā nāgairnāgā ivottamāḥ || 60 ||
พวกเขาดื่มน้ำต้มสมุนไพรและเนยใสหลากชนิด; กระนั้นก็ยังปรากฏว่าถูกชราภาพทำให้ทรุดโทรม—ดุจช้างชั้นเลิศที่ถูกช้างอื่นโค่นลง।
Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada, Moksha-Dharma context)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
FAQs
It highlights the inevitability of bodily decline: even with remedies like decoctions and ghee, aging overpowers the body. The verse pushes the seeker toward vairāgya (detachment) and mokṣa-oriented practice rather than relying on physical supports as ultimate refuge.
By showing that the body cannot be permanently protected, it indirectly redirects attention to the imperishable—Hari/Vishnu as the true shelter. Bhakti becomes the stable path when material measures fail to secure lasting freedom from decay.
The verse references practical āyurvedic-style regimens (kaṣāya, sarpīs) as worldly means, but its takeaway is discriminative wisdom: technical knowledge and therapies may support life, yet they do not conquer jarā; therefore one should prioritize mokṣa-sādhanā.