Srimad Bhagavatam — Panchama Skandha, Shloka 11
Rahūgaṇa Meets Jaḍa Bharata: The Shaking Palanquin and the Teaching Beyond Body-Identity
जीवन्मृतत्वं नियमेन राजन् आद्यन्तवद्यद्विकृतस्य दृष्टम् । स्वस्वाम्यभावो ध्रुव ईड्य यत्र तर्ह्युच्यतेऽसौ विधिकृत्ययोग: ॥ ११ ॥
jīvan-mṛtatvaṁ niyamena rājan ādyantavad yad vikṛtasya dṛṣṭam sva-svāmya-bhāvo dhruva īḍya yatra tarhy ucyate ’sau vidhikṛtya-yogaḥ
ହେ ରାଜନ୍! ତୁମେ ମୋତେ ଜୀବନ୍ତ ହୋଇ ମୃତ ବୋଲି ଅଭିଯୋଗ କଲ—ଆଦି ଓ ଅନ୍ତ ଥିବା ବିକାରୀ ଭୌତିକ ବସ୍ତୁମାନଙ୍କରେ ଏହା ନିୟମରୂପେ ଦେଖାଯାଏ। ଏବଂ ‘ମୁଁ ସ୍ୱାମୀ, ତୁ ଦାସ’ ଭାବ ମଧ୍ୟ ଧ୍ରୁବ ନୁହେଁ; ଆଜି ତୁମେ ରାଜା, କାଲି ପରିସ୍ଥିତି ବଦଳିପାରେ। ଏସବୁ ବିଧି (ଦୈବ) ଦ୍ୱାରା ସୃଷ୍ଟ ଅସ୍ଥାୟୀ ସଂଯୋଗ।
The bodily conception is the basic principle of suffering in material existence. In Kali-yuga especially, people are so uneducated that they cannot even understand that the body is changing at every moment and that the ultimate change is called death. In this life one may be a king, and in the next life one may be a dog, according to karma. The spirit soul is in a deep slumber caused by the force of material nature. He is put in one type of condition and again changed into another type. Without self-realization and knowledge, conditional life continues, and one falsely claims himself a king, a servant, a cat or a dog. These are simply different transformations brought about by the supreme arrangement. One should not be misled by such temporary bodily conceptions. Actually no one is master within the material world, for everyone is under the control of material nature, which is under the control of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is the ultimate master. As explained in Caitanya-caritāmṛta, ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa, āra saba bhṛtya: the only master is Kṛṣṇa, and everyone else is His servant. Forgetfulness of our relationship with the Supreme Lord brings about our suffering in the material world.
FAQs
This verse explains that material existence is ‘dead even while living’ because everything that is materially transformed has a beginning and an end; it is destined to perish under inevitable law.
Śukadeva instructs Parīkṣit in detachment and right orientation: seeing the perishability of material identity and recognizing the Lord as the eternal Master, one should engage in regulated, prescribed duty as yoga.
Treat temporary achievements and identities as perishable, reduce possessiveness (‘mine’), and anchor daily work in dharmic, God-centered duty—turning ordinary responsibilities into spiritual practice.