Retire at the right time.. Or…

Retire at the right time.. Or…

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जराशुभ्रेषु केशेषु तपोवनरुचिर्भवेत्।

अन्ते वनं ययुर्धीराः कुरुपूर्वा महीभुजः॥९५

क्षेमेन्द्रविरचिते चारुचर्यायाम्॥

jarāśubhreṣu keśeṣu tapovanarucirbhavet|

ante vanaṁ yayurdhīrāḥ kurupūrvā mahībhujaḥ||95

kṣemendraviracite cārucaryāyām||

A very wise advise presented by Kshemendra in his work Charucharya. This idea is reflected in and is cavassed with a lot of force in almost all the ancient texts of our country, including Itihasas, Puranas and Dharmashastre..

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Meaning

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When the hairs of a person have turned white due to old age, then he shold definitely turn his mind to retire to some simple hermitage where he could spend his time and rest of his life, in penance and contemplation

Even great Kings with Emperor Kuru in the vanguard, retired to forest when they became old and were expecting end to their physical existence on earth..

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Comments

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Yes, the greatest problem with old people is that they have outlived their utility and productivity, but most of them feel young and aggressive in mind.. And they do not want to part with anything they have earned or even hoarded during their active innings of life.. They often forget to realize that a younger and more vigorous set of people are waiting in the queue, anxious to occupy the slots created by the expected departure of the oldies.. A lot of strife and unrest in society arise out of such a situation.. Even strife between parents and their offspring arise out of the tendency of the elderly parents to hold on to whatever they could keep in their clutch..

Better let go.. When the time to depart to the abode of yama comes the oldie cannot take anything with him

The idea of Vanaparsta was an established practice in India.. Great kings, when they realized that their next generation had become good enough to take control of the state and family, would just retire to lives of penance and austeriry..

The fact is , it is better to leave before you are thrown out..

This should be a lesson to the elderly and doddery politicians who just stick on like parasites to their positions, come whatever may..

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word analysis

नरः a person

केशेषु जराषुभ्रेषु सत्सु when his hairs have turned white due to old age

तपोवनरुचिः भवेत् get deeply interested in doining penance in a hermitage.. should observe physical and spiritual austerity.

कुरुपूर्वाः धीराः महीभुजः great and valorous kings and emperors like Kuru

अन्ते वनं ययुः.. just retired to forest when their ends were near.