जरामार्जारिका भुङ्क्ते यौवनाखुं तथोद्धता । परमुल्लासमायाति शरीरामिषगर्द्धिनी ॥ २५ ॥
jarāmārjārikā bhuṅktē yauvanākhuṁ tathōddhatā | paramullāsamāyāti śarīrāmiṣagarddhinī || 25 ||
Translation
The she-cat of old age, grown bold, eats the mouse of youth, and comes to great delight, greedy for the meat of the body.
Word by word
- jarā
- of old age
- mārjārikā
- the she-cat
- bhuṅktē
- eats
- yauvana
- of youth
- ākhuṁ
- the mouse
- tathā
- and
- uddhatā
- grown bold
- param
- great
- ullāsam
- delight
- āyāti
- comes to
- śarīra
- of the body
- āmiṣa
- for the meat
- garddhinī
- greedy
Meaning
The image of the cat and the mouse (1.14.19) returns, now with old age as the cat. First it eats the mouse of youth; then, emboldened, it hungers for the whole body. The commentary describes the cat grown arrogant. The verse shows the order of loss: youth first, then everything.