"Bālastāvat krīḍāsaktaḥ Tarunastāvat taruṇīsaktaḥ Vṛddhastāvat cintāsaktaḥ Parame brahmaṇi ko'pi na saktaḥ" Meaning: As a child, one is attached to play. As a youth, one is attached to passion. As an old man, one is attached to anxiety. Hardly anyone is attached to the Supreme Reality. Philosophical Insight: Time does not just age the body—it reprograms desire. • Childhood → distraction • Youth → intoxication • Old age → fear At no stage does truth become natural, because time always offers a new excuse. Shankaracharya exposes a devastating pattern: Life finishes itself without ever confronting its purpose.