OLD AGE-JARAA- (जरा)

SUBHASHITHANI:158

जरा रूपं हरति, धैर्यमाशा, मॄत्यु:प्राणान् , धर्मचर्यामसूया |

क्रोध: श्रियं , शीलमनार्यसेवा , ह्रियं काम: , सर्वमेवाभिमान: ||

The old age snatches away the beauty, lust takes away the courage, death defeats the life, jealousy  will destroy ones noble attitude (dharmic vyavahaar), anger will lead to poverty, being in the company of bad people and helping them will take away ones 'sheela-bhava', uncontrolled desire will take away the shyness and false pride will take away all the good things!
व्याघ्रीव तिष्ठति जरा परितर्जयन्ती

रोगाश्च शत्रव इव प्रहरन्ति देहम् ।

आयुः परिस्रवति भिन्नघटादिवाम्भो

लोकस्तथाप्यहितमाचरतीति चित्रम् ॥ ३८॥ Vairagya Satakam

Like a tigress, fearsome is old age. Illnesses attack the body like

enemies. Life flows like water from a leaky vessel. Yet, is it not

a wonder that man engages in actions not conducive to well-being?

यावत्स्वस्थमिदं शरीरमरुजं यावज्जरा दूरतो

यावच्चेन्द्रियशक्तिरप्रतिहता यावत्क्षयो नायुषः ।

आत्मश्रेयसि तावदेव विदुषा कार्यः प्रयत्नो महान्

संदीप्ते भवने तु कूपखननं प्रत्युद्यमः कीदृशः ॥ ७५॥

As long as this body is healthy and free of infirmity, as long as

senility is distant, as long as the faculties have not lost their vigor,

as long as life is not enfeebled, till then should the wise ones make

great efforts to reach the supreme goal of life.  For what is the use

of digging a well when the house is on fire?

वलीभिर्मुखमाक्रान्तं पलितैरङ्कितं शिरः ।
गात्राणि शिथिलायन्ते तृष्णैका तरुणायते ॥
valībhirmukhamākrāntaṃ palitairaṅkitaṃ śiraḥ ।
gātrāṇi śithilāyante tṛṣṇaikā taruṇāyate ॥ - vairāgyaśataka

Face encroached by wrinkles; head marked by grays; limbs frail/feeble; appetence alone is young!

यावद्वित्तोपार्जनसक्तः तावन्निजपरिवारो रक्तः।

पश्चाज्जीवति जर्जरदेहे वार्तां कोऽपि न पृच्छति गेहे॥Bhaja Govindam

yaavadvittopaarjana saktaH

staavannija parivaaro raktaH .

pashchaajjiivati jarjara dehe

vaartaaM ko.api na pRichchhati gehe .. (5)

So long as a man is fit and able to support his family, see the affection all those around him show. But no one at home cares to even have a word with him when his body totters due to old age.

देहिनोऽस्मिन्यथा देहे कौमारं यौवनं जरा |
तथा देहान्तरप्राप्तिर्धीरस्तत्र न मुह्यति || BG 2.13||
dehino ’smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyatiJust as the embodied soul continuously passes from childhood to youth to old age, similarly, at the time of death, the soul passes into another body. The wise are not deluded by this.

SRI KRISHNAYA THUBHYAM NAMAH