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Shloka 19

Varāha-avatāra: Viṣṇu’s subterranean intervention and the cosmic nāda (Śānti-parva 202)

खं वायुमग्निं सलिल॑ तथोर्वी समन्ततो<भ्याविशते शरीरी । नानाश्रया: कर्मसु वर्तमाना: श्रोत्रादय: पञठ्च गुणान्‌ श्रयन्ते

khaṁ vāyum agniṁ salilaṁ tathorvī samantato 'bhyāviśate śarīrī | nānāśrayāḥ karmasu vartamānāḥ śrotrādayaḥ pañca guṇān śrayante ||

ພີສະມະກ່າວວ່າ: ເມື່ອອັດຕາທີ່ສະຖິດໃນຮ່າງກາຍ ປ່ອຍວາງຮ່າງກາຍໜຶ່ງ, ສ່ວນຂອງອາກາດໃນນັ້ນ ກໍລະລາຍເຂົ້າສູ່ອາກາດທົ່ວໄປ; ສ່ວນຂອງລົມເຂົ້າສູ່ລົມ; ສ່ວນຂອງໄຟເຂົ້າສູ່ໄຟ; ສ່ວນຂອງນ້ຳເຂົ້າສູ່ນ້ຳ; ແລະສ່ວນຂອງດິນເຂົ້າສູ່ດິນ. ແຕ່ອິນທຣີຍະເຊັ່ນ ການໄດ້ຍິນ—ອາໄສຢູ່ໃນທາດຫຼາຍຢ່າງ—ບໍ່ໄດ້ລະລາຍ; ມັນຍັງດຳເນີນຕາມກຳຂອງຕົນ ແລະໄປສູ່ຮ່າງກາຍໃໝ່ ອາໄສທາດທັງຫ້າອີກຄັ້ງ. ຄຳສອນນີ້ຊີ້ໃຫ້ເຫັນກົດແຫ່ງກຳ: ຮ່າງກາຍຫຍາບກັບຄືນສູ່ທຳມະຊາດ, ແຕ່ເຄື່ອງມືລະອຽດຍັງຄົງຢູ່ພາຍໃຕ້ກຳ ແລະສືບຕໍ່ປະສົບການກັບຄວາມຮັບຜິດຊອບ.

खम्space (ether)
खम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootख (आकाश)
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
वायुम्wind (air)
वायुम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootवायु
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
अग्निम्fire
अग्निम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootअग्नि
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
सलिलम्water
सलिलम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootसलिल
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
तथाand likewise
तथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतथा
उर्वीम्earth
उर्वीम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootउर्वी
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
समन्ततःon all sides, entirely
समन्ततः:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootसमन्ततः
अभ्याविशतेenters into, merges into
अभ्याविशते:
TypeVerb
Rootअभि-आ-विश्
FormPresent, Indicative, Parasmaipada, Third, Singular
शरीरीthe embodied one (soul/person)
शरीरी:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootशरीरिन्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
नानाvarious, manifold
नाना:
TypeAdjective
Rootनाना
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
आश्रयाःthose having support/abode; dependents
आश्रयाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootआश्रय
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
कर्मसुin actions, in activities
कर्मसु:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootकर्मन्
FormNeuter, Locative, Plural
वर्तमानाःbeing engaged, existing/operating
वर्तमानाः:
TypeAdjective
Rootवृत्
Formशानच् (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Plural
श्रोत्रादयःthe ear and the rest (sense-faculties)
श्रोत्रादयः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootश्रोत्र-आदि
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
पञ्चfive
पञ्च:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपञ्च
गुणान्qualities (here: sense-objects/attributes)
गुणान्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootगुण
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
श्रयन्तेtake refuge in, depend on, resort to
श्रयन्ते:
TypeVerb
Rootश्रि
FormPresent, Indicative, Atmanepada, Third, Plural

भीष्म उवाच

B
Bhīṣma
Ā
ākāśa (space/ether)
V
vāyu (air)
A
agni (fire)
J
jala/salila (water)
P
pṛthivī/urvī (earth)
Ś
śrotra (ear; faculty of hearing)
I
indriyas (sense-faculties)

Educational Q&A

The gross body is composed of the five great elements and, at death, those elemental portions return to their cosmic sources. However, the sense-faculties and subtle instruments do not simply vanish; driven by karma they continue their functional continuity and take up a new bodily basis, explaining moral responsibility across lives.

In Bhīṣma’s instruction during the Śānti Parva, he explains the process of dying and transition: the physical constituents dissolve back into space, air, fire, water, and earth, while the operative faculties (like hearing) persist and proceed—under karmic momentum—toward another embodiment.