देहे पञ्चत्वमापन्ने देही कर्मानुगोऽवश: । देहान्तरमनुप्राप्य प्राक्तनं त्यजते वपु: ॥ ३९ ॥
dehe pañcatvam āpanne dehī karmānugo ’vaśaḥ dehāntaram anuprāpya prāktanaṁ tyajate vapuḥ
- dehe
- when the body
- pañcatvam āpanne
- turns into five elements
- dehī
- the proprietor of the body, the living being
- karma-anugaḥ
- following the reactions of his own fruitive activities
- avaśaḥ
- spontaneously, automatically
- deha-antaram
- another body (made of material elements)
- anuprāpya
- receiving as a result
- prāktanam
- the former
- tyajate
- gives up
- vapuḥ
- body
When the present body turns to dust and is again reduced to five elements — earth, water, fire, air and ether — the proprietor of the body, the living being, automatically receives another body of material elements according to his fruitive activities. When the next body is obtained, he gives up the present body.