Shloka 6
Citraketu’s Detachment, Nārada’s Mantra, and the Darśana of Anantadeva
यथा वस्तूनि पण्यानि हेमादीनि ततस्तत: । पर्यटन्ति नरेष्वेवं जीवो योनिषु कर्तृषु ॥ ६ ॥
yathā vastūni paṇyāni hemādīni tatas tataḥ paryaṭanti nareṣv evaṁ jīvo yoniṣu kartṛṣu
Wie Gold und andere Waren im Verlauf von Kauf und Verkauf fortwährend von einem Ort zum anderen gelangen, so wandert auch die jīva infolge der Früchte ihres Karma durch das ganze Universum und wird durch immer neue Väter in Körper verschiedener Arten eingesetzt.
It has already been explained that Citraketu’s son was his enemy in a past life and had now appeared as his son just to give him more severe pain. Indeed, the untimely death of the son caused severe lamentation for the father. One may put forward the argument, “If the King’s son was his enemy, how could the King have so much affection for him?” In answer, the example is given that when someone’s wealth falls into the hands of his enemy, the money becomes the enemy’s friend. Then the enemy can use it for his own purposes. Indeed, he can even use it to harm its previous owner. Therefore the money belongs neither to the one party nor to the other. The money is always money, but in different situations it can be used as an enemy or a friend.
FAQs
This verse explains that the jīva moves through different wombs and bodies due to karma, shifting from one situation to another like goods exchanged between people.
To show the impersonal, mechanical nature of karmic transfer: as goods change hands by transaction, the soul is carried through different births by the results of actions.
Act with awareness of consequences—cultivate sādhana and devotion so actions no longer bind, reducing karmic reactions that drive repeated unwanted changes in life.