Ātmā’s Unborn Nature and Fearlessness at Death
Parīkṣit’s Final Instruction
त्वं तु राजन् मरिष्येति पशुबुद्धिमिमां जहि । न जात: प्रागभूतोऽद्य देहवत्त्वं न नङ्क्ष्यसि ॥ २ ॥
tvaṁ tu rājan mariṣyeti paśu-buddhim imāṁ jahi na jātaḥ prāg abhūto ’dya deha-vat tvaṁ na naṅkṣyasi
大王啊,当舍弃“我将死去”的兽性之念。你并非如身体般出生;过去从无你不存在之时,你也不会被毁灭。
At the end of the First Canto (1.19.15) King Parīkṣit stated:
This verse urges the king to abandon the animal-like belief “I will die,” teaching that the self is not truly born or destroyed, and thus fear of death is rooted in ignorance.
Parīkṣit was facing imminent death; Śukadeva instructs him in spiritual knowledge so he can transcend bodily identification and meet death with realization and devotion.
Reduce anxiety by shifting identity from the temporary body to the enduring self, and live with steadiness—using time for sādhana, hearing Bhāgavatam, and cultivating bhakti rather than panic.