12.179
bharadvāja uvāca॥
Bharadvāja said.
yadi prāṇāyate vāyur vāyur eva viceṣṭate। śvasity ābhāṣate caiva tasmāj jīvo nirarthakaḥ ॥12-179-1॥
If it is merely the wind that breathes, acts, breathes, and speaks, then the living being is meaningless.
yadyūṣmabhāva āgneyo vahninā pacyate yadi। agnir jarayate caiva tasmāj jīvo nirarthakaḥ ॥12-179-2॥
If the fiery nature is cooked by fire, and fire indeed consumes, then the living being is rendered useless.
jantoḥ pramīyamāṇasya jīvo naivopalabhyate। vāyureva jahātyenamūṣmabhāvaśca naśyati ॥12-179-3॥
When a creature is dying, the life-principle is not perceived at all. Only the air departs from the body, and its warmth is lost.
yadi vātopamo jīvaḥ saṃśleṣo yadi vāyunā। vāyumaṇḍalavaddṛśyo gacchetsaha marudgaṇaiḥ ॥12-179-4॥
If the living being is like wind and his union is with the wind, then, like the sphere of wind, he should be seen going together with the groups of winds.
śleṣo yadi ca vātena yadi tasmāt praṇaśyati। mahārṇavavimuktatvād anyat salilabhājanam ॥12-179-5॥
If adhesion is destroyed by the wind, then, being free from the great ocean, it becomes another water vessel.
kūpe vā salilaṃ dadyāt pradīpaṃ vā hutāśane। prakṣiptaṃ naśyati kṣipraṃ yathā naśyaty asau tathā॥12-179-6॥
Just as water poured into a well or a lamp thrown into fire is quickly destroyed, so too does this perish.
pañcasādhāraṇe hy asmiñ śarīre jīvitaṃ kutaḥ। yeṣām anyataratyāgāc caturṇāṃ nāsti saṅgrahaḥ ॥12-179-7॥
In this body composed of five common elements, how can there be life? If any one of the four is abandoned, there is no combination (no life remains).
naśyanty āpo hy anāhārād vāyur ucchvāsa-nigrahāt। naśyate koṣṭha-bhedāt kham agnir naśyaty abhojanāt॥12-179-8॥
Waters perish from lack of nourishment; air perishes from restraint of breath; fire in the body perishes from rupture of the cavity; and all perish from not eating.
vyādhi-vraṇa-parikleśair medinī caiva śīryate। pīḍite'nyatare hyeṣāṃ saṅghāto yāti pañcadhā॥12-179-9॥
The earth is worn away by diseases, wounds, and torments. When either of these is afflicted, the whole aggregate is divided into five parts.
tasmin pañcatvam āpanne jīvaḥ kim anudhāvati। kiṃ vedayati vā jīvaḥ kiṃ śṛṇoti bravīti vā ॥12-179-10॥
When dissolution has occurred, what does the living being pursue? What does he perceive, or what does he hear or say?
eṣā gauḥ paralokasthaṃ tārayiṣyati mām iti। yo dattvā mriyate jantuḥ sā gauḥ kaṃ tārayiṣyati ॥12-179-11॥
"This cow will help me cross over to the next world." But if a creature dies after giving away the cow, whom will that cow help to cross over?
gauś ca pratigrahītā ca dātā caiva samaṃ yadā। ihaiva vilayaṃ yānti kutas teṣāṃ samāgamaḥ ॥12-179-12॥
When the cow, the receiver, and the giver all together meet their dissolution here itself, how can there be any union among them?
vihagairupayuktasya śailāgrātpititasya vā। agninā copayuktasya kutaḥ sañjīvanaṃ punaḥ ॥12-179-13॥
How can there be revival again for one who has been eaten by birds, fallen from the mountain peak, or consumed by fire?
chinnasya yadi vṛkṣasya na mūlaṃ pratirohati। bījānyasya pravartante mṛtaḥ kva punareṣyati ॥12-179-14॥
If the root of a cut tree does not grow again, its seeds will continue; but if one is dead, where will he return again?
bījamātraṃ purā sṛṣṭaṃ yad etat parivartate। mṛtā mṛtāḥ praṇaśyanti bījād bījaṃ pravartate ॥12-179-15॥
In the beginning, only the seed was created; this entire cycle revolves thus. The dead perish, but from the seed, another seed arises.
