मानमोहान्मदोन्मत्तं यौवनं योऽभिलष्यति । अचिरेण स दुर्बुद्धिः पश्चात्तापेन युज्यते ॥ ४० ॥
mānamōhānmadōnmattaṁ yauvanaṁ yō’bhilaṣyati | acirēṇa sa durbuddhiḥ paścāttāpēna yujyatē || 40 ||
Translation
Whoever longs for youth, drunk with the pride of honour and delusion, that fool is soon joined with regret.
Word by word
- māna
- of honour
- mōhān
- (mohāt) and delusion
- mada
- with the pride
- unmattaṁ
- drunk
- yauvanaṁ
- youth
- yō
- (yaḥ) whoever
- abhilaṣyati
- longs for
- acirēṇa
- soon
- sa
- (saḥ) that
- durbuddhiḥ
- fool
- paścāttāpēna
- with regret
- yujyatē
- is joined
Meaning
Longing for youth, and clinging to it, brings remorse (paścāttāpa) "soon". The commentary: one who takes youth for the essence and gives himself to it does harm and soon repents. The verse speaks to two kinds of reader: the young who want more of it, and the old who long to have it back. Both meet regret.