Shloka 7
Dehānta (Cyavana) and Upapatti: Kāśyapa’s Questions and the Siddha’s Account of Death, Pain, and Karmic Re-embodiment
आयु:क्षयपरीतात्मा विपरीतानि सेवते । बुद्धिव्यावर्तते चास्य विनाशे प्रत्युपस्थिते
āyuḥkṣayaparītātmā viparītāni sevate | buddhivyāvartate cāsya vināśe pratyupasthite ||
The Siddha said: “When a person’s inner self becomes enveloped by the waning of lifespan, he begins to pursue what is contrary to his true good. And as destruction draws near, his understanding turns away—his judgment becomes inverted—so that he clings to harmful courses of action at the very time he most needs clarity.”
सिद्ध उवाच
Educational Q&A
As life wanes, a person may lose discernment and begin choosing ‘viparīta’ (contrary, harmful) actions; imminent ruin is marked by a reversal of buddhi. The verse warns to cultivate steady judgment and dharmic habits before decline makes clarity difficult.
A Siddha delivers a reflective instruction about human behavior: nearing the end of one’s allotted life, the mind can become clouded, leading to perverse choices and inverted reasoning—an ethical diagnosis offered as counsel within the Ashvamedhika Parva discourse setting.