Srimad Bhagavatam — Saptama Skandha, Shloka 18
Nārada’s Protection of Kayādhu and Prahlāda’s Womb-Instructions: Ātma-tattva and the Path of Bhakti
जन्माद्या: षडिमे भावा दृष्टा देहस्य नात्मन: । फलानामिव वृक्षस्य कालेनेश्वरमूर्तिना ॥ १८ ॥
janmādyāḥ ṣaḍ ime bhāvā dṛṣṭā dehasya nātmanaḥ phalānām iva vṛkṣasya kāleneśvara-mūrtinā
جیسے درخت کے پھل اور پھول وقت کے ساتھ چھ تبدیلیوں—پیدائش، بقا، بڑھوتری، تبدیلی، زوال اور پھر موت—سے گزرتے ہیں، ویسے ہی یہ مادی جسم بھی بدلتا رہتا ہے؛ مگر روح میں ایسی تبدیلیاں نہیں ہوتیں۔
This is a very important verse in understanding the difference between the spiritual soul and the material body. The soul is eternal, as stated in Bhagavad-gītā (2.20) :
FAQs
This verse explains that the six changes beginning with birth belong to the body, not to the eternal soul; they are driven by time (kāla).
Prahlada teaches that the inevitable changes of the body occur under kāla, which acts as a divine power of the Lord, reminding one to seek the timeless आत्मा and devotion rather than bodily identity.
Remember that aging, loss, and change affect the body, not the self; this supports steadiness, reduces anxiety, and strengthens bhakti by focusing life on the eternal Lord rather than temporary conditions.