Devanagari
मा स्वस्य कर्मबीजेन जायते सोऽप्ययं पुमान् ।
म्रियते वामरो भ्रान्त्या यथाग्निर्दारुसंयुत: ॥ ४६ ॥
Verse text
mā svasya karma-bījena
jāyate so ’py ayaṁ pumān
mriyate vāmaro bhrāntyā
yathāgnir dāru-saṁyutaḥ
Synonyms
mā
—
does not
;
svasya
—
of the self
;
karma
—
bījena — by the seed of his activities
;
jāyate
—
take birth
;
saḥ
—
he
;
api
—
indeed
;
ayam
—
this
;
pumān
—
personality
;
mriyate
—
dies
;
vā
—
or
;
amaraḥ
—
immortal
;
bhrāntyā
—
because of illusion
;
yathā
—
as
;
agniḥ
—
fire
;
dāru
—
with wood
;
saṁyutaḥ
—
joined .
Translation
A person does not actually take birth out of the seed of past activities, nor, being immortal, does he die. By illusion the living being appears to be born and to die, just as fire in connection with firewood appears to begin and then cease to exist.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
A person does not actually take birth out of the seed of karma, nor, being immortal, does he die. By illusion the living being appears to be born and to die, just as fire in connection with firewood appears to begin and then cease to exist though the element lasts for the lifetime of Brahmā.
In reality, birth and death takes place for the jīva by false identity. The jīva is not born and does not die by his seed in the form of karma. But by illusion one thinks that he is born and dies, though he is without birth and death. Fire is a gross element with great power, existing for the lifetime of Brahmā. However, it appears to take birth and die by addition or subtraction of wood.
Purport
The element fire exists perpetually within the material creation, but in connection with a particular piece of wood fire apparently comes into existence and ceases to exist. Similarly, the living entity is eternal, but in connection with a particular body apparently takes birth and dies. The reactions of
karma
thus impose an illusory suffering or enjoyment upon the living entity, but they do not cause the entity himself to change his eternal nature. In other words,
karma
represents a cycle of illusion in which each illusory activity produces another. Kṛṣṇa consciousness stops this cycle of
karma
by engaging the living being in spiritual activities in the loving service of the Lord. By such Kṛṣṇa consciousness one can escape the illusory chain of fruitive reactions.