Shloka 2
Ātmā’s Unborn Nature and Fearlessness at Death
Parīkṣit’s Final Instruction
त्वं तु राजन् मरिष्येति पशुबुद्धिमिमां जहि । न जात: प्रागभूतोऽद्य देहवत्त्वं न नङ्क्ष्यसि ॥ २ ॥
tvaṁ tu rājan mariṣyeti paśu-buddhim imāṁ jahi na jātaḥ prāg abhūto ’dya deha-vat tvaṁ na naṅkṣyasi
O König, gib die tierische Vorstellung auf: „Ich werde sterben.“ Du bist nicht wie der Körper geboren; es gab nie eine Zeit, da du nicht warst, und du wirst nicht vernichtet werden.
At the end of the First Canto (1.19.15) King Parīkṣit stated:
FAQs
This verse urges the king to abandon the animal-like belief “I will die,” teaching that the self is not truly born or destroyed, and thus fear of death is rooted in ignorance.
Parīkṣit was facing imminent death; Śukadeva instructs him in spiritual knowledge so he can transcend bodily identification and meet death with realization and devotion.
Reduce anxiety by shifting identity from the temporary body to the enduring self, and live with steadiness—using time for sādhana, hearing Bhāgavatam, and cultivating bhakti rather than panic.