The whole life is full of five elements, five principles, five senses, five sheaths. So up to the age 50, you will engage and enjoy the five elements, that is youth. What is it that you get at this stage? Youth is not getting married and begetting dozens of children. Youth is the one, which extinguishes the very source. It comes in between and passes off. Youth is a passing cloud. You need not be proud of it; you don’t need to feel so happy about it. You cannot say when it would vanish. The stage of youth you decide by the state of the body. It is not the one that is taken in the ancient times. We call it youth till 40 years. It is not the physical age of the body; youth is the mental power that is more important.

In the Mahabharata War, Bhishma was 112 years of age, Krishna 78 years, Arjuna 74. Bhishma at the age 112 was the commander-in-chief of the Kaurava army. That age of 112 was youth then. Can you call it on the basis of the body? No. It is the mental power. Therefore, with that mental power and energy, you can have youth for the entire lifetime. That is the will power. You get the will power from God. Some call it free will. Free will is with God alone and with no one else. No one has free will. You call it free will for namesake. God only has the free will. With all that will power, you can achieve anything.

It is youth upto the age of 50. You should complete your family responsibilities by the age of 60. After 60 years, it is called Shanti Puja in Bharat. Shanti Puja signifies a check on the six enemies. Then come 70 years. It is the position of the 7 sages, 7 oceans, 7 tunes (Swaras) and 7 colours. The seven tunes is music. The sun is permanent. 70th year means that it is permanent. You should have that sage- hood. The sage- hood is implied in 70 years. Then what is 80 years? They are 8 Vasus (Deities). You should also become one of the Vasus. That is the number of the 8 Vasus signifies.

Then 90 years. You are one among the Navagraha. What do you mean by a planet? It is star. You should be as powerful as a planet. You should forget all the negative and live in positive health. What do you mean by 100 years? You should merge the five organs of action with their senses. You should give up all the ten senses. Then you will be free from the body feeling. You cannot have eternal bliss so long as there is body feeling. The moment the body feeling is given up, the knowledge of the self increases. So reduce your desires. The more desires you have, the more weak you become. The more anger, lust and greed you have, the life span is cut short. It is the anger that decreases your life span. The longevity of life is cut short. It is the attachment that cuts short our life. Without these, nothing can come in the way. Therefore, Swami says less luggage, more comfort makes travel a pleasure. (DTB Vol.3, pp. 17-19)

(See – Live)