न जिताः शत्रुभिः संख्ये प्रविष्टा येऽद्रिकोटरे । ते जराजीर्णराक्षस्या पश्याऽऽशु विजिता मुने ॥ ३१ ॥
na jitāḥ śatrubhiḥ saṁkhyē praviṣṭā yē’drikōṭarē | tē jarājīrṇarākṣasyā paśyā’’śu vijitā munē || 31 ||
Translation
Those whom enemies could not conquer in battle, who hid in mountain caves, see, O sage, how quickly they are conquered by the old demoness of age!
Word by word
- na
- not
- jitāḥ
- could conquer
- śatrubhiḥ
- enemies
- saṁkhyē
- in battle
- praviṣṭā
- (praviṣṭāḥ) who hid
- yē
- those whom
- adri
- mountain
- kōṭarē
- in caves
- tē
- they
- jarā
- of age
- jīrṇa
- old
- rākṣasyā
- by the demoness
- paśya
- see
- āśu
- how quickly
- vijitā
- (vijitāḥ) conquered
- munē
- O sage
Meaning
The undefeated warriors and the hermits safe in caves alike fall to age. The commentary: those whom great enemies could not overcome were quickly overcome by this old demoness; see the wonder. Neither courage nor seclusion protects. The reader is shown that the only victory over age is not escape but knowledge.