शिथिलादीर्घसर्वाङ्गं जराजीर्णकलेवरम् । समं पश्यन्ति कामिन्यः पुरुषं करभं यथा ॥ ४ ॥
śithilādīrghasarvāṅgaṁ jarājīrṇakalēvaram | samaṁ paśyanti kāminyaḥ puruṣaṁ karabhaṁ yathā || 4 ||
Translation
A man whose body is worn by age, every limb slack and drawn out, women look upon as they would a camel.
Word by word
- śithila
- slack
- ādīrgha
- and drawn out
- sarva
- every
- aṅgaṁ
- limb
- jarā
- by age
- jīrṇa
- worn
- kalēvaram
- whose body is
- samaṁ
- as they would
- paśyanti
- look upon
- kāminyaḥ
- women
- puruṣaṁ
- a man
- karabhaṁ
- a camel
- yathā
- as
Meaning
The aged man, all his limbs slack and sagging (ādīrgha, "drawn out"), is looked upon by women, the commentary says, as a camel or a donkey: no longer as a man. The verse names one of age's quiet humiliations, the loss of being seen. The reader who has built their sense of self on being desired is shown where that foundation goes.