Shloka
पूर्वं जनेरपि मृतेरथ नायमस्ति
जातक्षणक्षणगुणोऽनियतस्वभावः ।
नैको जडश्च घटवत्परिदृश्यमानः स्वात्मा कथं भवति भावविकारवेत्ता ॥ १५७ ॥
pūrvaṃ janerapi mṛteratha nāyamasti
jātakṣaṇakṣaṇaguṇo’niyatasvabhāvaḥ ;
naiko jaḍaśca ghaṭavatparidṛśyamānaḥ svātmā kathaṃ bhavati bhāvavikāravettā . 157 .
Anvaya
- पूर्वं जनेः अपिpūrvaṃ janeḥ api
- Even prior to origin
- अथ मृतेःatha mṛteḥ
- and after death
- न अयम् अस्तिna ayam asti
- this does not exist
- जात–क्षण–क्षण–गुणःjāta–kṣaṇa–kṣaṇa–guṇaḥ
- with its nature changing every moment
- अनियत–स्वभावःaniyata–svabhāvaḥ
- it is of uncertain nature
- न एकःna ekaḥ
- not one (keeps changing as child, adult etc)
- जडः चjaḍaḥ ca
- and insentient
- घटवत्ghaṭavat
- like a pot (an object)
- परिदृश्यमानःparidṛśyamānaḥ
- very clearly objectified
- स्वात्माsvātmā
- one’s Self
- कथम् भवतिkatham bhavati
- how can it be
- भाव–विकार–वेत्ताbhāva–vikāra–vettā
- that which is the knower of all changes in form
Translation
This has no existence prior to birth and after death. Its nature changes every moment. It is uncertain in its nature. It is not one (in its form) insentient and can be very clearly objectified. How can this be one’s Self which is the knower of all changes?
Annotation
“That which has no existence in the beginning and in the end does not have existence even in the present” – line from the Mandukya Karika quoted by Jagadguru. ‘Changing every moment’ – refers to changes in the body depending on the food taken and efforts made to build body (Jagadguru). ‘Not one’ – refers to the modifications such as birth, growth, change, decay etc., which every living being undergoes (Jagadguru). It is now told that this sheath is having parts (avayavi) and hence delimited in nature.