अनायासकदर्थिन्या गृहीते जरसा जने । पलाय्य गच्छति प्रज्ञा सपत्न्येवाऽऽहताऽङ्गना ॥ ५ ॥
anāyāsakadarthinyā gṛhītē jarasā janē | palāyya gacchati prajñā sapatnyēvā’’hatā’ṅganā || 5 ||
Translation
When a person is seized by old age, which brings misery without effort, understanding runs away, like a woman beaten by her co-wife.
Word by word
- anāyāsa
- without effort
- kadarthinyā
- which brings misery
- gṛhītē
- is seized
- jarasā
- by old age
- janē
- when a person
- palāyya
- runs away
- gacchati
- goes
- prajñā
- understanding
- sapatnyā
- by her co-wife
- iva
- like
- āhatā
- beaten
- aṅganā
- a woman
Meaning
In a household with two wives, the one defeated by the other leaves the house. So prajñā, understanding, runs off when age takes possession; the commentaries agree. The mind's clarity, which might have been the consolation of age, is the first to go. The reader is urged not to postpone wisdom to old age, when understanding may have fled.