karma yena punar bhavaḥ. Saying “This is mine or I am this person,” the jīva identifies with his gross body and performs action. The jīva then receives the results of that action in his subtle body. By that action performed with a certain

karma yena punar bhavaḥ

Saying “This is mine or I am this person,” the jīva identifies with his gross body and performs action. The jīva then receives the results of that action in his subtle body. By that action performed with a certain identity, the jīva then takes birth with another gross body.

This verse explains how one’s identity in the gross body helps the jīva attain his next body. He says “I did this activity. This is my sacrifice for attaining Svarga.” And he identifies with his particular gross body (yad yad gṛhṇīyāt). Then the jīva in his subtle body accepts the result accomplished through actions of the previous gross body. The previous gross body is not necessary for this. Thus by that action performed with ahaṅkāra, one takes birth again. Birth cannot take place otherwise.

|| 4.29.63 ||

yathānumīyate cittam

ubhayair indriyehitaiḥ

evaṁ prāg-dehajaṁ karma

lakṣyate citta-vṛttibhiḥ

Just as one can infer the citta by the knowledge senses and action senses, one can infer the actions in the previous gross body by the present functioning of citta.

This answers the question “Since action disappear the moment it is performed, how can one enjoy its results in the next life?” One can infer the citta by the knowledge senses or action senses, which are not operating at the same time. Knowledge does not arise from simultaneous action of the different senses. Akṣapāda says yugapaj jñānānutpattir manaso liṅgam: the quality of the mind is that knowledge does not arise simultaneously from different senses. Thus, when the mind unites with a particular sense, there is knowledge for the sense object of that particular sense. Similarly, by the present functions of citta, which do not arise simultaneously, the actions generated from previous bodies can be inferred. When the operation of citta unites with a certain action, the citta then appears to be auspicious or inauspicious, depending on the particular action. Though an action disappears the moment it is performed, its impression remains in the citta. Thus the conclusion has been shown.

|| 4.29.64 ||