प्रत्यहं प्रत्यवेक्षेत देहं नश्वरमात्मनः । संत्यजेत्पशुभिस्तुल्यं श्रयेत्सत्पुरुषोचितम् ॥ १६ ॥
pratyahaṁ pratyavēkṣēta dēhaṁ naśvaramātmanaḥ | saṁtyajētpaśubhistulyaṁ śrayētsatpuruṣōcitam || 16 ||
Translation
Each day one should look at one's body, which perishes; give up what one shares with beasts, and take up what befits the good.
Word by word
- pratyahaṁ
- each day
- pratyavēkṣēta
- one should look at
- dēhaṁ
- body
- naśvaram
- which perishes
- ātmanaḥ
- one's
- saṁtyajēt
- give up
- paśubhis
- (paśubhiḥ) with beasts
- tulyaṁ
- what one shares
- śrayēt
- take up
- satpuruṣa
- the good
- ucitam
- what befits
Meaning
A daily practice. Every day (pratyaham) one should look at one's own body and see that it is perishable (naśvara). Then one should give up what is like the beasts (paśu-tulya), which the commentary takes as attachment to sense pleasures, and take up what befits good people: the company of the wise and true scripture. The contemplation of mortality is not morbid here. It is the fuel of effort. The reader who sees each day that his time is limited will not spend it as an animal does.