परिपक्वं समालोक्य जराक्षारविधूसरम् । शिरःकुष्माण्डकं भुङ्क्ते पुंसः कालः किलेश्वरः
When time, the lord of affliction, sees the head like a ripe gourd, pale with the ashes of old age, he devours it.
जराजह्नुसुतोद्युक्ता मूलान्य् अस्य निकृन्तति । शरीरतीरवृक्षस्य चलस्यायूंषि सत्वरम्
Old age, aided by the daughter of the river (the goddess of death), swiftly cuts the roots of the body-tree, causing the vital forces to waver.
जरामार्जारिका भुक्तयौवनाखुतयैधिता । परम् उल्लासम् आयाति शरीरामिषगर्धिनी
Old age, the sweeper, having consumed youth and kindled the fire of suffering, comes to supreme delight, greedy for the flesh of the body.
काचिद् अस्ति जगत्य् अस्मिन् नामङ्गलकरी तथा । यथा जराक्रोशकरी देहजङ्गलजम्बुकी
There is nothing in this world so inauspicious as old age, the jackal of the body-forest, howling with lamentation.
कासश्वासससीत्कारा दुःखधूमतमोमयी । जराज्वाला ज्वलत्य् एषा ययासौ दग्ध एव हि
Coughs, breathlessness, and sighs, with the smoke and darkness of suffering—this flame of old age burns, by which that one is indeed scorched.
जरसा वक्रताम् एति शुक्लावयवपल्लवा । तात तन्वी तनुर् नॄणां लता पुष्पानता यथा
By old age, the slender body of people, once white and fresh like tender shoots, becomes bent, O dear one, just as a flower-laden vine droops.
जराकर्पूरधवलं देहकर्पूरपादपम् । मुने मरणमातङ्गो नूनम् उद्धरति क्षणात्
The body, white as camphor from the camphor-tree of old age, is surely lifted away in an instant by the elephant of death, O sage.
मरणस्य मुने राज्ञो जराधवलचामरा । आगच्छतो ऽग्रे निर्याति स्वाधिव्याधिपताकिनी
For death, O sage, is a king; the white fan of old age precedes him, and the banner of disease goes forth ahead as he approaches.
न जिताश् शत्रुभिस् सङ्ख्ये ये निष्पिष्टाद्रिकोटयः । ते जराजीर्णराक्षस्या पश्याशु विजिता मुने
Those who were not conquered by enemies in battle, whose mountain fortresses were crushed, see how swiftly they are defeated by the demoness of old age, O sage.
जरातुषारधवले शरीरसदनान्तरे । शक्नुवन्त्य् अक्षशिशवस् स्पन्दितुं न मनाग् अपि
Within the body’s dwelling, whitened by the frost of old age, even the eyes’ pupils cannot move in the slightest.
संसारसंसृतेर् अस्या गन्धकुट्याश् शिरोगता । देहयष्ट्या जरानाम्नी चामरश्रीर् विराजते
In this fragrant chamber of worldly existence, upon the head of the body’s stalk, the splendor of the fan named old age shines forth.
जराचन्द्रोदयसिते शरीरनगरे स्थिते । क्षणाद् विकासम् आयाति मुने मरणकैरवम्
When the moonrise of old age appears in the city of the body, O sage, the lotus of death blooms in an instant.
जरासुधालेपसिते शरीरान्तःपुरान्तरे । अशक्तिर् आर्तिर् आपच् च तिष्ठन्ति सुखम् अङ्गनाः
Within the palace of the body, smeared with the ointment of old age, helplessness, pain, and calamity stand as its companions of pleasure.
अभावाग्रेसरा यत्र जरा जयति जन्तुषु । कस् तत्रेह समाश्वासो मम मन्दमतेर् मुने
Where old age, leading the way, prevails among creatures, O sage, what comfort can there be for me, whose mind is dull?
किं तेन दुर्जीवितदुर्ग्रहेण जरां गतेनापि हि जीव्यते यत् । जरा जगत्याम् अजिता नराणां सर्वैषणास् तात तिरस्करोति
What is gained by clinging to this difficult, unpleasant life, even after succumbing to old age? For old age, unconquered among men in the world, casts aside all desires, O father.
विकल्पकल्पनानल्पकल्पितैर् अल्पबुद्धिभिः । भेदैर् उद्धुरतां नीतस् संसारकुहकभ्रमः
The delusion of worldly existence, driven to agitation by the divisions imagined by those of little understanding, arises from the endless fabrications of thought.
सतां कथम् इवास्थेह जायते जालपञ्जरे । बाला एवात्तुम् इच्छन्ति फलं मकुरबिम्बितम्
How does attachment arise here for the wise, as if in a cage of netting? Only children desire to eat fruit reflected in a mirror.
इहापि विद्यते यैषा पेलवा सुखभावना । आखुस् तन्तुम् इवाशेषं कालस् ताम् अपि कृन्तति
Even here, that frail notion of happiness exists; but time, like a mouse, cuts through every thread of it.
न तद् अस्तीह यद् अयं कालस् सकलघस्मरः । ग्रसते न जगज्जातं महाब्धिम् इव वाडवः
There is nothing here that time, the devourer of all, does not consume; it swallows all that is born in the world, like the submarine fire drinks the ocean.
समस्तसामान्यतया भीमः कालो महेश्वरः । दृश्यसत्ताम् इमां सर्वां कवलीकर्तुम् उद्यतः
Time, dreadful and supreme, by its universal power, is poised to swallow all this visible existence.
महताम् अपि नो देवः प्रतिपालयति क्षणात् । कालः कवलितानन्तविश्वो विश्वात्मतां गतः
O Lord, even the great ones are not spared for a moment; time, having devoured the endless universe, has become its very soul.
युगवत्सरकल्पाख्यैः किञ्चित् प्रकटतां गतः । रूपैर् अलक्ष्यरूपात्मा सर्वम् आक्रम्य तिष्ठति
With forms known as ages, years, and aeons, it attains some manifestation; yet, its essence is unmanifest, pervading all and abiding everywhere.
ये रम्या ये शुभारम्भास् सुमेरुगुरवो ऽपि ये । कालेन विनिगीर्णास् ते करभेणेव पन्नगाः
Those who are delightful, those who begin auspicious deeds, even those as weighty as Mount Sumeru—all are swallowed by time, like serpents by a young elephant.
निर्दयः कठिनः क्रूरः कर्कशः कृपणो ऽधमः । न तद् अस्ति यद् अद्यापि न कालो निगिरत्य् अयम्
Pitiless, harsh, cruel, relentless, wretched, and base—there is nothing that, even today, this time does not consume.
कालः कवलनैकान्तमतिर् अत्ति गिरीन् अपि । अनन्तैर् अपि भोगौघैर् नायं तृप्तो महाशनः
Time, whose sole intent is to devour, eats even mountains; though it enjoys endless streams of pleasures, this voracious one is never satisfied.
हरत्य् अयं नाशयति करोत्य् अत्ति निहन्ति च । कालस् संसारनृत्ये हि नानारूपैर् यथा नटः
It takes away, destroys, creates, eats, and kills; time, in the dance of worldly existence, acts in various forms like an actor.
भिनत्ति प्रविभागस्थो भूतबीजान्य् अनारतम् । जगत्य् असत्तया चञ्च्वा दाडिमानि यथा शुकः
It breaks apart, standing in division, the seeds of beings ceaselessly; in the world, with its unreal beak, like a parrot splitting pomegranates.
शुभाशुभविषाणाग्रविलूनजनपल्लवः । स्फूर्जति स्फीतजनताजीवराजीविनीगजः
Having plucked the tender shoots of people with the horns of auspicious and inauspicious fate, it shines forth, the mighty elephant among the herds of living beings.
विरिञ्चमज्जब्रह्माण्डबृहद्बिल्वफलद्रुमम् । ब्रह्मकाननम् आभोगि परम् आवृत्य तिष्ठति
Within the vast forest of Brahma, the great tree bearing the fruit of the universe stands, enveloped by the supreme serpent, and remains there.
यामिनीभ्रमरीपूर्णा रचयन् दिनमञ्जरीः । वर्षकल्पकलावल्लीर् न कदाचन खिद्यते
Filled with the bees of night, weaving garlands of daylight, and the vines of the seasons and ages, it never grows weary.