“The embrace of loved ones is fleeting, but the embrace of wisdom is eternal.”
The verse: Bhartrihari Vairagya Shataka 82
The quote above is our paraphrase. This is the verse as it reads in the B. Hale Wortham translation (1886):
“Life is as uncertain as the waves of the sea; the glory of youth remains but a short time; wealth passes away like a thought; all the pleasure in the world endures but a lightning-flash through the heavens; the embraces of your beloved whom you clasp to your breast will not be for long. Direct your thoughts to the Supreme Being; for you must cross the sea of life with all its fears and alarms.”
About the poet: Bhartrihari
Bhartrihari is the Sanskrit poet to whom the Shatakatraya is attributed: three collections of about 100 verses each, usually dated to around the 5th century CE. They cover worldly conduct (Niti), love (Shringara) and renunciation (Vairagya), often in a wry, sceptical voice.
More from Bhartrihari
- “The wise renounce material desires for inner bliss.”
- “The pursuit of desires leads to endless suffering.”
- “True bliss comes from within, not from external pleasures.”
- “Hope is like a river, eroding patience and fortitude.”
- “Love for humanity aligns with divine will.”
- “Ascetics renounce the noise of the world for the silence of wisdom.”