Yoga Vashishtha 1.22.14–25
(The transience of bodily existence)
श्रीराम उवाच।
तावदागत एवाशु कुतोऽपि परिदृश्यते ।
घनान्ध्यतिमिराकाङ्क्षी मुने मरणकौशिकः ॥ १४ ॥
सायंसंध्यां प्रजातां वै तमः समनुधावति।
जरां वपुषि दृष्ट्वैव मृतिः समनुधावति ॥ १५ ॥
जराकुसुमितं देहद्रुमं दृष्ट्वैव दूरतः ।
अध्यापतति वेगेन मुने मरणमर्कटः ॥ १६॥
शून्यं नगरमाभाति भाति च्छिन्नलतो द्रुमः ।
भात्यनावृष्टिमान्देशो न जराजर्जरं वपुः ॥ १७ ॥
क्षणान्निगरणायैव कासक्वणितकारिणी।
गृध्रीवामिषमादत्ते तरसैव नरं जरा ॥ १८॥
दृष्ट्वैव सोत्सुकेवाशु प्रगृह्य शिरसि क्षणम् ।
प्रलुनाति जरा देहं कुमारी कैरवं यथा ॥ १९ ॥
सीत्कारकारिणी पांसुपरुषा परिजर्जरम्।
शरीरं शातयत्येषा वात्येव तरुपल्लवम् ॥ २० ॥
जरसोपहतो देहो धत्ते जर्जरतां गतः ।
तुषारनिकराकीर्णपरिम्लानाम्बुजश्रियम् ॥ २१ ॥
जरा ज्योत्स्नोदितैवेयं शिरःशिखरिपृष्ठतः ।
विकासयति संरब्धं वातकासकुमुद्वती ॥ २२ ॥
परिपक्वं समालोक्य जराक्षारविधूसरम्।
शिरःकूष्माण्डकं भुङ्क्ते पुंसां कालः किलेश्वरः ॥ २३ ॥
जराजह्नुसुतोद्युक्ता मूलान्यस्य निकृन्तति ।
शरीरतीरवृक्षस्य चलत्यायुषि सत्वरम् ॥ २४ ॥
जरामार्जारिका भुङ्क्ते यौवनाखुं तथोद्धता ।
परमुल्लासमायाति शरीरामिषगर्धिनी ॥ २५ ॥
SriRama said:
14. "O Sage, death seems to arise suddenly from somewhere, appearing swiftly like darkness that eagerly awaits dense clouds to cover the light."
15. "Just as darkness chases the evening twilight, death follows the body the moment old age is seen approaching."
16. "As soon as old age blooms like a flower on the tree of the body, death — like a monkey — leaps upon it forcefully from a distance."
17. "A body afflicted by old age is like a deserted city, a tree with severed branches, or a parched land without rainfall — it loses its charm and vitality."
18. "Old age seizes a person in moments, like a vulture snatching flesh with the rattle of a cough, eager to devour."
19. "As soon as she sees the body, she clutches the head swiftly and tears it down like a maiden plucking a lily."
20. "Harsh and dry with sand-like breath, she shreds the fragile body like a storm breaking tender tree leaves."
21. "The body struck by old age becomes decrepit and frail, like the faded beauty of a lotus covered with clusters of frost."
22. "Old age rises behind the head like moonlight, vigorously unfolding like a cluster of white lotuses stirred by winds and coughs."
23. "Seeing the ripened and aged body turned grey with time’s ashes, Time — the Lord of Death — consumes the head like a pumpkin."
24. "Assisted by old age, the daughter of the river Jahnavi (symbolizing decay), death cuts the roots of the body-tree and swiftly steals away the breath of life."
25. "Old age, like a wild she-cat, devours the youthful rat with relish and then revels in delight, craving the flesh of the body."
Summary of the Teachings:
These verses present a deeply poetic and symbolic meditation on the inevitability and nature of aging and death. The body is depicted as a transient structure, a tree that blossoms temporarily with youth and vitality but is ultimately destined for decay.
The dramatic metaphors used — such as death as a monkey, old age as a storm, or Time as a devourer — create a vivid image of the impermanence and fragility of embodied existence.
Old age is portrayed not just as a gradual weakening but as an aggressive and transformative force. It is likened to a destructive natural element: storms, frost, and vultures all become symbols of how the vitality of youth is torn down. This force acts without warning, and its work is swift and merciless, turning the once-beautiful body into something worn, grey, and lifeless.
The role of Time (Kāla) is especially emphasized. Time is not merely a passive background but an active agent that consumes, judges, and ultimately destroys the body, particularly when it has matured and withered. The metaphor of Time eating the “pumpkin” of the head underscores how identity and ego—symbolically situated in the head—are not exempt from nature’s eroding power.
The verses also point out that old age does not come alone. It brings with it signs like cough, weakness, and tremors, all of which are likened to death's scouts. These are not simply physical symptoms but spiritual reminders of life's impermanence, urging the seeker toward dispassion and wisdom.
Overall, this passage from the Yoga Vāsiṣṭha serves as a powerful reflection on the transience of bodily existence. Through its poetic imagery, it encourages the aspirant to recognize the illusory charm of the physical form and to turn inward, seeking liberation from the cycle of birth, aging, and death through Self-Knowledge and detachment.
No comments:
Post a Comment