BhG 2.22

vāsāṃsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya navāni gṛhṇāti naro parāṇi
tathā śarīrāṇi vihāya jīrṇāny anyāni saṃyāti navāni dehī

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syntax


yathā (as) naraḥ (a person) jīrṇāni (worn out) vāsāṁsi (garments) vihāya (after abandoning),
aparāṇi (others) navāni (new) gṛhṇāti (he takes),
tathā (so) dehī (the embodied one) jīrṇāni (worn out) śarīrāṇi (bodies) vihāya (after abandoning),
anyāni (others) navāni (new) [śarīrāṇi] (bodies) saṁyāti (he attains).

 

grammar

vāsāṁsi vāsas 2n.3 n.garments (from: vas – to put on, to wear);
jīrṇāni jīrṇa (jṝ – to grow old) PP 2n.3 n.which are old, worn out;
yathā av.as (correlative of tathā);
vihāya vi- (to abandon) absol.after abandoning;
navāni nava 2n.3 n.new, fresh ones (from: nu – to praise);
gṛhṇāti grah (to take) Praes. P 1v.1he takes;
naraḥ nara 1n.1 m.a man, a person (from: nṛ man, mankind);
aparāṇi apara 2n.3 n.other, later, inferior, different ones;
tathā av.in that manner, so, in like manner;
śarīrāṇi śarīra 2n.3 n.bodies (from: śri – to lean on, to rest on; or from: śṝ – to break, to crush, śarīra – easy to be destroyed, the body);
vihāya vi- (to abandon) absol.after abandoning;
jīrṇāni jīrṇa (jṝ – to grow old) PP 2n.3 n.which are old, worn out;
anyāni anya sn. 2n.3 n.others;
saṁyāti sam- (to meet, to attain) Praes. P 1v.1he attains;
navāni nava 2n.3 n.new, fresh ones (from: nu – to praise);
dehī dehin 1n.1 m.the embodied one (from: dih – to anoint, to smear, deha – a form, shape, body; dehin = dehavant = dehābhimānin – who possesses a body, thinking about oneself as a body);

 

textual variants

gṛhṇāti → saṃyāti (he attains);

 
 



Śāṃkara

The key:
an excerpt from the commented verse
quotes from the scriptures
starting polemic

How the Self is immutable.
To return to the immediate subject. It has been stated that the Self is indestructible. Like what is He indestructible? Here follows the answer:

prakṛtaṃ tu vakṣyāmaḥ | tatra ātmano ’vināśitvaṃ pratijñātam | tat kim iveti, ucyate

Just as a man casts off worn-out clothes
and puts on others which are new,
so the embodied (Self) casts off worn-out bodies
and enters others which are new.

vāsāṃsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya
navāni gṛhṇāti naro ’parāṇi
|
tathā śarīrāṇi vihāya jīrṇāni
anyāni saṃyāti navāni dehī ||2.22||

Just as, in this world, a man casts off the clothes that have been worn-out and puts on others which are new, in the same manner, like the man (of the world), the embodied Self abandons old bodies, and, without undergoing any change, enters others which are new.

vāsāṃsi vastrāṇi jīrṇāni durbalatāṃ gatāni yathā loke vihāya parityajya navāni abhinavāni gṛhṇāti upādatte naraḥ puruṣo ’parāṇi anyāni, tathā tadvad eva śarīrāṇi vihāya jīrṇāni anyāni saṃyāti saṃgacchati navāni dehī ātmā puruṣavat avikriya evety arthaḥ ||2.22||

 

Rāmānuja

yadyapi nityānām ātmanāṃ śarīra-viśleṣa-mātraṃ kriyate, tathāpi ramaṇīya-bhoga-sādhaneṣu śarīreṣu naśyatsu tad-viyoga-rūpaṃ śoka-nimittam asty eva, iti ata āha vāsāṃsīti | dharma-yuddhe śarīraṃ tyajatāṃ tyakta-śarīrād adhikatara-kalyāṇa-śarīra-grahaṇaṃ śāstrād avagamyate iti | jīrṇāni vāsāṃsi vihāya navāni kalyāṇāni vāsāṃsi gṛhṇatām iva harṣa-nimittam evātropalabhyate

 

Śrīdhara

nanv ātmano ‚vināśe ‚pi tadīya-śarīra-nāśaṃ paryālocya śocāmīiti cet ? tatrāha vāsāṃsīti | karmaṇi bandhanānāṃ nūtanānāṃ dehānām avaśyambhāvitvāt na taj-jīrṇa-deha-nāśe śokāvakāśa ity arthaḥ

 

Madhusūdana

nanv evam ātmano vināśitvābhāve ‚pi dehānāṃ vināśitvād yuddhasya ca tan-nāśakatvāt kathaṃ bhīṣmādi-dehānām aneka-sukṛta-sādhanānāṃ mayā yuddhena vināśaḥ kārya ity āśaṅkāyā uttaram vāsāṃsīti |
jīrṇāni vihāya vastrāṇi navāni gṛhṇāti vikriyā-śūnya eva naro yathety etāvataiva virvāhe ‚parāṇīit viśeṣaṇam utkarṣātiśaya-khyāpanārtham | tena yathā nikṛṣṭāni vastrāṇi vihāyotkṛṣṭāni jano gṛhṇātīty aucityāyātam | tathā jīrṇāni vayasā tapasā ca kṛśāni bhīṣmādi-śarīrāṇi vihāyānyāni devādi-śarīrāṇi sarvotkṛṣṭāni ciropārjita-dharma-phala-bhogāya saṃyāti samyag-garbha-vāsādi-kleśa-vyatirekeṇa prāpnoti dehī prakṛṣṭa-dharmānuṣṭhātṛ-dehavān bhīṣmādir ity arthaḥ | anyan navataraṃ kalyāṇataraṃ rūpaṃ kurute pitryaṃ vā gandharvaṃ vā daivaṃ vā prājāpatyaṃ vā brāhmaṃ vā ity ādi śruteḥ |
etad uktaṃ bhavati bhīṣmādayo hi yāvaj jīvaṃ dharmānuṣṭhāna-kleśenaiva jarjara-śarīrā vartamāna-śarīra-pātam antareṇa tat-phala-bhogāyāsam arthā yadi dharma-yuddhena svarga-pratibandhakāni jarjarāṇi śarīrāṇi pātayitvā divya-deha-sampādanena svarga-bhoga-yogyāḥ kriyante tvayā tad-atyantam upakṛtvā eva te | duryodhanādīnām api svarga-bhoga-yogya-deha-sampādanān mahān upakāra eva | tathā cātyantam upakārake yuddhe ‚pakārakatva-bhramaṃ mā kārṣīr iti | aparāṇi anyāni saṃyātīti pada-traya-vaśād bhagavad-abhiprāya evam abhyūhitaḥ | anena dṛṣṭāntenāvikṛta-pratipādanam ātmanaḥ kriyata iti tu prācāṃ vyākhyānam atispaṣṭam

 

Viśvanātha

nanu madīya-yuddhād bhīṣma-saṃjñakaṃ śarīraṃ tu jīvātmā tyakṣyaty eva ity atas tvaṃ cāhaṃ ca tatra hetu bhavāva eva ity ata āha vāsāṃsīti | navīnaṃ vastraṃ paridhāpayituṃ jīrṇa-vastrasya tyajane kaścit kiṃ doṣo bhavatīti bhāvaḥ | tathā śarīrāṇīti bhīṣmo jīrṇa-śarīraṃ parityajya divyaṃ navyaṃ anyac charīraṃ prāpsyatīti kas tava vā mama vā doṣo bhavatīti bhāvaḥ

 

Baladeva

nanu mā bhūd ātmanāṃ vināśo bhīṣmādi-saṃjñānāṃ tac-charīrāṇāṃ tat-sukha-sādhanānāṃ yuddhena vināśe tat-sukha-viccheda-hetuko doṣaḥ syād eva | anyathā prāyaścitta-śāstrāṇi nirviṣayāṇi syur iti cet tatrāha vāsāṃsīti | sthūla-jīrṇa-vāsas-tyāgena navīna-vāso-dhāraṇam iva vṛddha-nṛ-deha-tyāgena yuva-deva-deha-dhāraṇaṃ teṣām ātmanām atisukhakaram eva | tad ubhayaṃ ca yuddhenaiva kṣipraṃ bhaved ity upakārakāt tasmān mā viraṃsīr iti bhāvaḥ | saṃyātīti samyag-garbha-vāsādi-yātanāṃ vinaiva śīghram eva prāpnotīty arthaḥ | prāyaścitta-vākyāni tu yajña-yuddha-vadhād anyasmin vadhe neyāni

 
 



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