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Shloka 7

Ātmā’s Unborn Nature and Fearlessness at Death

Parīkṣit’s Final Instruction

स्‍नेहाधिष्ठानवर्त्यग्निसंयोगो यावदीयते । तावद्दीपस्य दीपत्वमेवं देहकृतो भव: । रज:सत्त्वतमोवृत्त्या जायतेऽथ विनश्यति ॥ ७ ॥

snehādhiṣṭhāna-varty-agni- saṁyogo yāvad īyate tāvad dīpasya dīpatvam evaṁ deha-kṛto bhavaḥ rajaḥ-sattva-tamo-vṛttyā jāyate ’tha vinaśyati

جیسے تیل، برتن، بتی اور آگ کے ملاپ سے ہی چراغ چراغ بنتا ہے، ویسے ہی جسم کی پہچان سے پیدا ہونے والی مادی زندگی رَجَس، سَتْو اور تَمَس کی حرکت سے جنم لیتی اور فنا ہوتی ہے۔

sneha-adhiṣṭhāna-varti-agni-saṁyogaḥthe combination of oil, base, wick, and fire
sneha-adhiṣṭhāna-varti-agni-saṁyogaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/subject)
TypeNoun
Rootsneha (प्रातिपदिक) + adhiṣṭhāna (प्रातिपदिक) + varti (प्रातिपदिक) + agni (प्रातिपदिक) + saṁyoga (प्रातिपदिक)
Formबहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समास (determinative: conjunction/combination of oil, support, wick, and fire), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
yāvatas long as
yāvat:
Kāla (काल/limit)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootyāvat (अव्यय)
Formपरिमाण/अवधिवाचक-अव्यय (as long as)
īyatecontinues, goes on
īyate:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√i (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; गत्यर्थे/प्रवृत्त्यर्थे (continues/goes on)
tāvatso long
tāvat:
Kāla (काल/correlative)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottāvat (अव्यय)
Formतावत्-अव्यय (so long/that long)
dīpasyaof the lamp
dīpasya:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/genitive)
TypeNoun
Rootdīpa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन
dīpatvamlamp-ness; the state of being a lamp
dīpatvam:
Karta (कर्ता/subject)
TypeNoun
Rootdīpatva (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
evamthus
evam:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootevam (अव्यय)
Formप्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (thus)
deha-kṛtaḥcaused by the body
deha-kṛtaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/subject-qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootdeha (प्रातिपदिक) + √kṛ (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
Formतत्पुरुष-समास (deha-kṛta = made/caused by the body), क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (of bhavaḥ)
bhavaḥbecoming; worldly existence
bhavaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/subject)
TypeNoun
Rootbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
rajaḥ-sattva-tamo-vṛttyāby the activity of rajas, sattva, and tamas
rajaḥ-sattva-tamo-vṛttyā:
Karaṇa (करण/instrument)
TypeNoun
Rootrajas (प्रातिपदिक) + sattva (प्रातिपदिक) + tamas (प्रातिपदिक) + vṛtti (प्रातिपदिक)
Formसमाहार/तत्पुरुष-समास (by the functioning of rajas, sattva, tamas), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (vṛtti), तृतीया-विभक्ति (instrumental), एकवचन
jāyateis born; arises
jāyate:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√jan (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन
athathen
atha:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/sequence marker)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootatha (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (then/and then)
vinaśyatiperishes
vinaśyati:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootvi-√naś (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन
Ś
Śukadeva Gosvāmī
M
Mahārāja Parīkṣit

FAQs

This verse explains that material existence arises and is destroyed due to the ongoing functions of rajas, sattva, and tamas—when their activity continues, samsara continues; when it ceases, the body-based condition ends.

He uses it to show that the body and its experience of worldly life are not permanent realities—like a lamp that ‘exists’ only while its components remain combined, the sense of embodied existence persists only under certain conditions.

Recognize the temporary, conditioned nature of bodily identity and cultivate steady devotional and spiritual practice that lifts consciousness beyond the modes—reducing impulsive passion and dull ignorance while not becoming attached even to goodness.