Srimad Bhagavatam — Saptama Skandha, Shloka 24
Brahmacarya and Vānaprastha Duties; Gradual Dissolution of Bodily Identity
आत्मन्यग्नीन् समारोप्य सन्न्यस्याहं ममात्मताम् । कारणेषु न्यसेत् सम्यक्सङ्घातं तु यथार्हत: ॥ २४ ॥
ātmany agnīn samāropya sannyasyāhaṁ mamātmatām kāraṇeṣu nyaset samyak saṅghātaṁ tu yathārhataḥ
Il doit établir correctement l’élément feu en lui-même et, ainsi, renoncer à l’affinité corporelle, cette notion de « moi » et de « mien ». Puis il doit, graduellement, résorber le corps matériel dans les cinq éléments.
The body is an effect of a cause, namely the five material elements (earth, water, fire, air and sky). In other words, one should know perfectly well that the material body is nothing but a combination of the five elements. This knowledge constitutes merging of the material body and the five material elements. Merging into Brahman in perfect knowledge means understanding perfectly that one is not the body but a spiritual soul.
FAQs
This verse teaches renouncing the ego-sense (“I”) and possessiveness (“mine”) as essential for liberation, seeing the body as a temporary aggregate rather than the self.
It indicates internalizing ritual into spiritual realization—turning outward sacrificial identity toward inner self-discipline and God-centered renunciation, a hallmark of mature sannyāsa.
Practice reducing ego and possessiveness, live with conscious simplicity, and regularly reflect that the body and its experiences are temporary—using that clarity to deepen devotion and detachment.