________________
368
VAJJĀLAGGAM
...
[659
72 The Section on Old Age 659) Prosperity (wealth, riches), beauty and cleverness (culture) prevail (are effective) in this world, only so long as grayness of hair, so hateful to young women, does not arise.
660) Not when people turn their glances (towards a person's gray hair), not (even), when they talk (slanderingly) (about a person's gray hair) (does an old man feel so sorry), as when the (despising) glances of young women fall (or descend) on his head.
661) They sported (played) to their heart's content in the midst of the village, white (gray) with dust. The days of childhood were made (by them) to be like the days of old age.
662) (An old man), his body bent in the middle and trembling, apprehensive (nervous), walking slowly and cautiously, placing his feet squarely on the way and ashamed of his gray hair, does not consider (care for) what was given by him in the past.
663)*
664) "Give up attachment to objects of sense (objects of sensual enjoyment); avoid sinful (unrighteous) deeds; give access in your mind to virtue" -- thus does the grayness of hair standing: (appearing) in the vicinity of the ears advise (man, on the eve of old age).
665) Life is transitory like a drop of water; youthfulness arises in a person along with old age; days are not similar to days (i. e. all days are not equally and uniformly hoppy). Why do (then), people act in a cruel manner?
666) The (maximum) length of human life is a hundred years. Half of that is taken up by nights, and one half of the remaining half is taken up (carried away) by old age and childhood (each.)
667) Who is always blessed with happiness in this world r. Whose riches and whose loves are steady (stable, unchanging: lasting)? Who, to be sure, is not attacked by grayness of hair? Say, who is not foiled (balked) by fate ?
• The senae of the Gātha is obscure.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
