Shloka 41
देवतापितृप्रश्नः — Nārada at Badarīāśrama: the ultimate referent of daiva and pitṛ worship
पुरा जरा कलेवरं विजर्जरीकरोति ते | बलाड्ररूपहारिणी निधत्स्व केवलं निधिम्,देखो, बल, अंग और रूपका विनाश करनेवाली वृद्धावस्था एक दिन तुम्हारे शरीरको जर्जर कर डालेगी, उसके पहले ही तुम अपने लिये ज्ञानका भण्डार भर लो
purā jarā kalevaraṁ vijarjarīkaroti te | balād rūpahāriṇī nidhatsva kevalaṁ nidhim |
Wika ni Vyāsa: “Sa takdang panahon, ang katandaan ay tiyak na magpapaluma at magpaparupok sa iyong katawan. Ninanakaw nito ang lakas at kagandahan. Kaya bago dumating ang araw na iyon, ipunin mo para sa iyong sarili ang tanging tunay na kayamanan—ang yaman ng kaalaman.”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Old age inevitably erodes the body, strength, and beauty; therefore one should invest early in lasting inner wealth—knowledge and wisdom—rather than relying on perishable physical advantages.
In Śānti Parva’s instructional setting, Vyāsa delivers a moral exhortation: anticipating the certainty of aging, the listener is urged to ‘deposit’ the only enduring treasure—knowledge—before bodily decline arrives.