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 ||
وہ جوشاندے اور طرح طرح کا گھی پیتے ہیں؛ پھر بھی بڑھاپے سے ٹوٹے ہوئے دکھائی دیتے ہیں—جیسے بہترین ہاتھی دوسرے ہاتھیوں کے ہاتھوں گِر پڑتے ہیں۔
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.