bhūtendriya-mano-mayaḥ

bhūtendriya-mano-mayaḥ

tan-nirodho 'sya maraṇam

āvirbhāvas tu sambhavaḥ

 

The subtle body and the gross body, following the soul, combine together and become the body, senses and mind. The disintegration of this combination is death for the jīva, and its recombination is called birth.

“The jīva goes from the earth on dying and enjoys in Svaraga. Returning from Svarga, he is born here. From where does the conception of death and birth arise?” The subtle body (jīvaḥ), which is the covering on the jīva, and the gross body, both of which accompany the jīva, combine into one to form in the place of enjoyment, and become the body (bhūta), senses and mind. The disintegration of that combination is death for the jīva. That is the state after leaving one gross body and prior to attaining the next gross body. In states such as deep sleep the capacity for actions remains even though no actions are performed, since when deep sleep is broken, immediately one sees the capacity for actions.  The appearance of the combination is called birth (sambhavaḥ). It occurs at the time of coming out of the womb after attaining another gross body, after having given up an old one.

|| 3.31.45-46 ||

dravyopalabdhi-sthānasya

dravyekṣāyogyatā yadā

tat pañcatvam ahaṁ-mānād

utpattir dravya-darśanam

yathākṣṇor dravyāvayava-

darśanāyogyatā yadā

tadaiva cakṣuṣo draṣṭur

draṣṭṛtvāyogyatānayoḥ

 

When gross objects of the earth cannot be perceived by the gross organ of perception because the gross body has been destroyed, it is called death (even though the subtle organ still exists). By identifying with another gross, body birth takes place. This is the cause of seeing gross objects again. Similarly, when the gross eye ball becomes incapable of seeing gross objects because of disease, the subtle eye sense organ of a person becomes incapable of seeing.

 

The characteristics of death and birth are again clarified. In this example, dravya means objects situated on this earth. When the gross body, the place of perceiving the objects, is destroyed and the subtle body is incapable of perceiving those objects on its own after the dissolution of the gross body, that state is called death (pañcatvam) for the jīva, though it is not his nature. Birth arises because of the appearance of the identity with another gross body, with the thought that “I am this body.”  This is the cause of seeing objects on this earth (dravya-darśanam).

 

An example is given. When the eye balls (gross matter) are unable to see parts of objects because of destruction in the form of eye disease, then the eye sense organ (subtle) also cannot see. When both the gross organ and the subtle organ are incapable, then the seer becomes incapable of acting as a seer.  That incapacity takes place on this earth, not in Svarga or hell. From understanding the explanation given in the example, the appearance and destruction of gross bodies in Svarga and hell are not really birth and death. They are simply called disappearance and appearance of the gross and subtle bodies.

 

|| 3.31.47 ||