Shloka 9
अग्निवंशवर्णनम् (Agni-vaṃśa-varṇana) / The Genealogy and Function of Agni
अन्योन्यं नातिवर्तन्ते सम्यक् च भवति द्विज । यदा तु विषमं भावमाचरन्ति चराचरा:,विप्रवर! ये पाँच भूत एक-दूसरेके बिना नहीं रह सकते। परस्पर मिलकर ही भलीभाँति प्रकाशित होते हैं। जिस समय व्यक्त और अव्यक्त पाँचों भूत विषम-भावको प्राप्त होते हैं, उस समय यह जीव कालकी प्रेरणासे अपने संकल्पानुसार दूसरे शरीरको प्राप्त हो जाता है। ये पाँचों भूत मृत्युकालमें प्रतिलोमक्रमसे विलीन हो जाते हैं और उत्पत्तिकालमें अनुलोमक्रमसे उत्पन्न होते हैं
anyonyaṃ nātivartante samyak ca bhavati dvija | yadā tu viṣamaṃ bhāvam ācaranti carācarāḥ ||
The hunter said: “O brāhmaṇa, the elements do not overstep one another; only through their mutual dependence does the world-functioning proceed in proper order. But when the moving and the unmoving beings fall into an imbalanced condition, then this individual self—impelled by Time—attains another body in accordance with its own intentions and dispositions. At the time of death, the five elements dissolve in reverse order; at the time of birth, they arise in forward order.”
व्याध उवाच
Educational Q&A
Cosmic order depends on the balanced cooperation of the five elements; when imbalance arises, Time propels the jīva to another embodiment according to its saṅkalpa and karmic disposition, with dissolution at death occurring in reverse elemental sequence and origination at birth in forward sequence.
In the Vyādha’s instruction to a brāhmaṇa, he explains how embodied life is governed by elemental interdependence and how death and rebirth occur through a lawful process of elemental dissolution and re-formation under the agency of Time.