देहस्त्वयं न म्रियते न च जीवति किञ्च ते । के किल स्वप्नसङ्कल्पभ्रान्तौ मरणजीविते ॥ १९ ॥
dēhastvayaṁ na mriyatē na ca jīvati kiñca tē | kē kila svapnasaṅkalpabhrāntau maraṇajīvitē || 19 ||
Translation
But this body neither dies nor lives, and what of it? What are death and life, in the error of dream or fancy?
Word by word
- dēhas
- (dehaḥ) body
- tu
- but
- ayaṁ
- this
- na
- neither
- mriyatē
- dies
- ca
- and
- jīvati
- lives
- kiṁ
- what
- tē
- of it
- kē
- what
- kila
- indeed
- svapna
- of dream
- saṅkalpa
- or fancy
- bhrāntau
- in the error
- maraṇa
- death
- jīvitē
- and life
Meaning
The commentary cites the Upaniṣad: as a goldsmith takes a piece of gold and makes a newer, finer shape, so the self leaving this body makes another; the elements of the body still stay with it, and others see the body of ignorance dying. But the unreal body neither dies nor lives. Another commentary: what are life and death in the error of a dream?