किं तेन दुर्जीवितदुर्ग्रहेण जरागतेनाऽपि हि जीव्यते यत् । जरा जगत्यामजिता जनानां सर्वैषणास्तात तिरस्करोति ॥ ३८ ॥
kiṁ tēna durjīvitadurgrahēṇa jarāgatēnā’pi hi jīvyatē yat | jarā jagatyāmajitā janānāṁ sarvaiṣaṇāstāta tiraskarōti || 38 ||
Translation
What use is that clinging to a bad life, by which one lives on even when old? Old age, unconquered in the world, dear one, sets aside all the desires of men.
Word by word
- kiṁ
- what use
- tēna
- is that
- dur
- bad
- jīvita
- to a life
- durgrahēṇa
- clinging
- jarā
- old
- gatēna
- when
- api
- even
- hi
- indeed
- jīvyatē
- one lives on
- yat
- by which
- jagatyām
- in the world
- ajitā
- unconquered
- janānāṁ
- of men
- sarva
- all
- ēṣaṇās
- (eṣaṇāḥ) the desires
- tāta
- dear one
- tiraskarōti
- sets aside
Meaning
The sarga ends in upajāti (eleven syllables a pāda). What is the use of the obstinate clinging to life, durgraha, that makes one go on living even into decrepitude? Old age, which no one has conquered, renders every wish void. The commentary: no one can fulfil any wish in old age, so the stubborn wish for such a life is fruitless. With this the long review of the ages of life is complete. Childhood, youth and age have each been found wanting; the next sarga will turn to Time itself, which carries them all away.