Shloka 43
Śakra–Namuci-saṃvāda: Śoka-nivāraṇa and Daiva-vicāra
Indra and Namuci on grief, composure, and inevitability
एवं सति कुतः संज्ञा प्रेत्यभावे पुनर्भवेत् । प्रतिसम्मिश्रिते जीवेडगृह्ममाणे च सर्वतः
evaṁ sati kutaḥ saṁjñā pretyabhāve punar bhavet | pratisaṁmiśrite jīve grahīyamāṇe ca sarvataḥ ||
Jika demikian, dari mana mungkin tersisa suatu sebutan atau identitas diri setelah kematian, atau muncul kembali? Ketika jīva sepenuhnya berbaur (pratisammiśrita) ke dalam Brahman dan dipahami sebagai menyatu dari segala sisi, nama dan bentuknya tak dapat ditangkap dengan cara apa pun. Dalam keadaan demikian, bagaimana mungkin ada penandaan diri setelah kematian?
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse argues that if the individual self (jīva) truly dissolves into Brahman such that name and form are no longer apprehensible, then post-mortem personal identity (saṁjñā) cannot persist, and the idea of a renewed individual existence after death becomes untenable in that state.
In Śānti Parva’s philosophical instruction, Bhīṣma addresses questions about the self, death, and liberation. Here he reasons about what remains of the individual after death if the jīva merges into Brahman, challenging the notion of continued personal designation in the liberated condition.