Shloka 87
अर्जुनस्य अन्त्येष्टि, द्वारकाप्लावनम्, कलिप्रवेशः, कालोपदेशः
जातस्य नियतो मृत्युः पतनं च तथोन्नतेः विप्रयोगावसानश् च संयोगः संचयात् क्षयः
jātasya niyato mṛtyuḥ patanaṃ ca tathonnateḥ viprayogāvasānaś ca saṃyogaḥ saṃcayāt kṣayaḥ
For one who is born, death is certain; for one who rises, a fall is likewise certain. Every union ends in separation, and whatever is amassed inevitably moves toward diminution and loss.
Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)
Concept: All conditioned phenomena are marked by inevitabilities—birth ends in death, ascent in fall, union in separation, accumulation in depletion.
Vedantic Theme: Maya
Application: Practice non-attachment: plan wisely but remember outcomes are transient; invest in dharma and inner cultivation rather than mere acquisition.
Vishishtadvaita: The transience of prakṛti and its modifications contrasts with the enduring dependence of selves on the Supreme, guiding surrender over possessiveness.
Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman
Bhakti Type: Shanta
FAQs
This verse compresses the Purāṇic warning that all conditioned states—birth, status, relationships, and wealth—are governed by inevitable decline, urging the seeker to look beyond the transient world.
By stating that every union ends in separation and every accumulation ends in loss, Parāśara frames attachment as structurally unstable within saṃsāra, making discernment and detachment a rational spiritual response.
Against the certainty of change, Vishnu is implied as the unchanging refuge—Supreme Reality—whose remembrance and surrender provide stability beyond the rise-and-fall pattern of the world.