अभावोऽग्रेसरी यत्र जरा जयति जन्तुषु । कस्तत्रेह समाश्वासो मम मन्दमतेर्मुने ॥ ३७ ॥
abhāvō’grēsarī yatra jarā jayati jantuṣu | kastatrēha samāśvāsō mama mandamatērmunē || 37 ||
Translation
Where old age wins among creatures, with Nothingness walking before her, what trust can there be here for me, of dull mind, O sage?
Word by word
- abhāvō
- (abhāvaḥ) Nothingness
- agrēsarī
- walking before her
- yatra
- where
- jarā
- old age
- jayati
- wins
- jantuṣu
- among creatures
- kas
- (kaḥ) what
- tatra
- there
- iha
- here
- samāśvāsō
- (samāśvāsaḥ) trust
- mama
- for me
- manda
- of dull
- matēr
- (mateḥ) mind
- munē
- O sage
Meaning
Old age conquers all creatures, and abhāva, non-being, death, goes ahead of her. Where such a power rules, what can one rely on? Rāma calls himself "of dull mind" (mandamati), humbly. The commentary: when age has conquered and death stands before us, what trust is there? The question is not rhetorical: it asks for the teaching that gives a ground beyond age.