उपनिषद् · Varāha 5.4
॥
देवनागरी
तत्पृथ्वीमण्डले क्षीणे वलिरायाति देहिनाम् । तद्वदापो गणापाये केशाः स्युः पाण्डुराः क्रमात्
लिप्यंतरण (IAST)
tatpṛthvīmaṇḍale kṣīṇe valirāyāti dehinām | tadvadāpo gaṇāpāye keśāḥ syuḥ pāṇḍurāḥ kramāt
शब्दशः अर्थ
संस्कृतIASTअर्थ
तत् पृथ्वी-मण्डले क्षीणेtat pṛthvī-maṇḍale kṣīṇewhen the circle of earth has diminished
वलिः आयाति देहिनाम्valiḥ āyāti dehināma wrinkle comes to the embodied
तत्-वत् आपः गण-अपायेtat-vat āpaḥ gaṇa-apāyelikewise, at the diminishing of the portion of water
केशाः स्युः पाण्डुराः क्रमात्keśāḥ syuḥ pāṇḍurāḥ kramātthe hair becomes grey, gradually
अनुवाद
"When the circle of earth has diminished, a wrinkle comes to the embodied; likewise, at the diminishing of the portion of water, the hair gradually becomes grey."
संस्करण
7733e882c310 · प्रकाशित 12 अग॰ 2026, 5:00:00 am UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
A curious passage begins: aging explained by the diminishing of the elements. A wrinkle — from the diminishing of earth; greyness — from the diminishing of water; further it will speak of hunger, trembling, and withering. This construction is an attempt to explain old age from within the teaching of the elements, and it is worth noting the attempt is made in good faith: the observations are correct, and the explanation is derived from the accepted principles.
Let us say plainly what must be said. The explanation is incorrect: a wrinkle comes from the loss of moisture and elasticity in the skin, greyness from the cessation of pigment production; and neither pertains to the elements in this sense. But the error here is an honest one: people explained what they observed with the concepts they had, and explained it consistently.
Let us add what deserves holding onto here, beyond natural science. Old age is described as a diminishing, and described without horror and without comfort: it is simply listed what departs and in what order. This sobriety is valuable in such books; and of the fact that even Brahmas depart, discussed when reading the third chapter (3.22).
The Vaishnava side looks at old age the same way, and adds one thing, which forms its usual argument: what diminishes is what accumulated. The body was built up, and hence is spent; and what was not built up is not spent. And hence the question is not how to delay the diminishing, but what in a person does not diminish.