The Arrogance of Youth: Swamiji explains the profound delusion caused by youth, wealth, and the people around us (dhanajanayauvanagarvam). In our youth, we are naturally extremely arrogant because we possess vast physical resources and strength, leading us to believe we do not require the help or support of anyone. Because we feel we can earn and accomplish whatever we want, youth generates immense pride. A young person rarely thinks of religion, bhagavan, scriptures, or mahātmās, often feeling it is beneath their dignity to seek them out. This intoxicating youthful pride is captured in the phrase: prauḍho’ham yauvanastho viṣayaviṣadharaiḥ pañcabhirmarmasandhau (I am proud, situated in youth, afflicted at the vital joints by the five venomous serpents of sense objects).

The Triple Pride of Wealth and Sycophants: When a person is young, they naturally have the capacity to earn, easily becoming an owner of wealth. If youth alone causes arrogance, possessing money doubles that arrogance. Such a person walks as if floating on air rather than stepping on the ground. Furthermore, when wealth is present, sycophants naturally gather around to glorify and admire the person, primarily to extract money. With a crowd of flatterers constantly feeding their ego, the person’s arrogance is tripled, making them an absolute embodiment of pride (garvaḥ). śaṅkarācārya gives a stern warning against this: mā kuru (do not do this; do not let it go to your head) because time is silently waiting to take it all away. kālaḥ nimeṣāt sarvam harati (time snatches away everything in a mere minute).

The Inevitable Losses of Old Age: Time continuously ticks away, making us grow older. In old age, the strength of youth vanishes, and along with it, the earning and owning power is lost. Whatever wealth was accumulated is gradually spent, and as income dwindles, money power completely disappears. As the money goes away, the surrounding crowd of admirers also vanishes, often afraid that the aging person might ask for a loan. All these three—youth, wealth, and people—are eventually snatched away by yamadharmarāja. If a person remains arrogant throughout their life, bhagavan will inevitably teach them a bitter lesson in their twilight years.

The Power of Time The word kālaḥ directly refers to yamadharmarāja, the ultimate principle of time. He will snatch away everything (sarvam harati) in mere minutes (nimeṣāt). Therefore, the wisest course of action is to recognize this reality even while we are still in possession of our youth, wealth, and social circles. We must actively work for something that yamadharmarāja cannot touch or take away.

The Ephemeral World and the Need for a Backup: śaṅkarācārya declares idam akhilam māyāmayam. māyāmayam translates to that which is ephemeral, time-bound, and completely subject to the onslaught of time. Youth, wealth, and relationships can only provide temporary support. Therefore, the instruction is hitvā—do not rely upon the unreliable. Swamiji playfully advises looking for a spiritual “backup” or a “UPS” (Uninterrupted Pleasure Supply). We must establish the support of the imperishable truth behind our worldly lives. By doing so, in old age, even if our youth, money, and companions depart, we will not fall into despair because we have govindaḥ with us. We can cheerfully enjoy people when they are present, but when they are absent, we comfortably rely on the ultimate backup of bhagavan.

Seeking the Imperishable Reality: The instruction akhilam hitvā fundamentally means giving up total emotional reliance on these temporary factors. And what should our ultimate backup be? brahmapadam praviśa (seek and enter the state of brahman). brahman or govindaḥ is that infinite reality which is beyond time and space, completely untouchable by kāla. This imperishable nature is beautifully described in the gītā:

न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचित् नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः ।
अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे ॥
na jāyate mriyate vā kadācit nāyaṃ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ |
ajo nityaḥ śāśvato’yaṃ purāṇo na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre ||

We must firmly hold onto this eternal support. If we completely rely upon dhana (wealth), jana (people), and yauvana (youth) without cultivating this ultimate backup, our lives will be entirely consumed by delusion.