जरासुधालेपसिते शरीरान्तःपुरान्तरे । अशक्तिरार्तिरापच्च तिष्ठन्ति सुखमङ्गनाः ॥ ३६ ॥
jarāsudhālēpasitē śarīrāntaḥpurāntarē | aśaktirārtirāpacca tiṣṭhanti sukhamaṅganāḥ || 36 ||
Translation
In the inner palace of the body, white with the plaster of old age, the women Weakness, Pain and Misfortune live at ease.
Word by word
- jarā
- of old age
- sudhā
- of the plaster
- lēpa
- with the coat
- sitē
- white
- śarīra
- of the body
- antaḥpura
- of the inner palace
- antarē
- in
- aśaktir
- (aśaktiḥ) Weakness
- ārtir
- (ārtiḥ) Pain
- āpac
- (āpat) Misfortune
- ca
- and
- tiṣṭhanti
- live
- sukham
- at ease
- aṅganāḥ
- the women
Meaning
A palace freshly whitewashed has its queens living in it. When the body is whitened by age, its queens are weakness, pain and calamity, and they live there comfortably. Another commentary describes them as the women of the house. The irony is gentle: the palace is new-painted for its new occupants.