बाल्यमल्पदिनैरेव यौवनश्रीस्ततो जरा । देहेऽपि नैकरूपत्वं काऽऽस्था बाह्येषु वस्तुषु ॥ ३७ ॥
bālyamalpadinairēva yauvanaśrīstatō jarā | dēhē’pi naikarūpatvaṁ kā’’sthā bāhyēṣu vastuṣu || 37 ||
Translation
Childhood in a few days, then the glory of youth, then old age: even in the body there is no single form; what trust can there be in outer things?
Word by word
- bālyam
- childhood
- alpa
- a few
- dinair
- (dinaiḥ) in days
- ēva
- just
- yauvana
- of youth
- śrīs
- (śrīḥ) the glory
- tatō
- (tataḥ) then
- jarā
- old age
- dēhē
- in the body
- api
- even
- na
- no
- ēka
- single
- rūpatvaṁ
- form
- kā
- what
- āsthā
- trust
- bāhyēṣu
- in outer
- vastuṣu
- things
Meaning
If even one's own body, the closest thing, keeps no single form, how can outer things be trusted? The commentary: when the body itself does not stay, what faith in external objects? The argument from the nearest to the farthest is complete.