अण्डेषु पेशिषु तरुष्वविनिश्चितेषु प्राणो हि जीवमुपधावति तत्र तत्र । सन्ने यदिन्द्रियगणेऽहमि च प्रसुप्ते कूटस्थ आशयमृते तदनुस्मृतिर्न: ॥ ३९ ॥
aṇḍeṣu peśiṣu taruṣv aviniściteṣu prāṇo hi jīvam upadhāvati tatra tatra sanne yad indriya-gaṇe ’hami ca prasupte kūṭa-stha āśayam ṛte tad-anusmṛtir naḥ
- aṇḍeṣu
- in (species of life born from) eggs
- peśiṣu
- in embryos
- taruṣu
- in plants
- aviniściteṣu
- in species of indeterminate origin (born from perspiration)
- prāṇaḥ
- the vital air
- hi
- indeed
- jīvam
- the soul
- upadhāvati
- follows
- tatra tatra
- from one species to another
- sanne
- they are merged
- yat
- when
- indriya-gaṇe
- all the senses
- ahami
- the false ego
- ca
- also
- prasupte
- in deep sleep
- kūṭa-sthaḥ
- unchanging
- āśayam
- the subtle covering of contaminated consciousness, the liṅga-śarīra
- ṛte
- without
- tat
- of that
- anusmṛtiḥ
- (there is) subsequent remembrance
- naḥ
- our
The spirit soul is born in many different species of life within the material world. Some species are born from eggs, others from embryos, others from the seeds of plants and trees, and others from perspiration. But in all species of life the prāṇa, or vital air, remains unchanging and follows the spirit soul from one body to another. Similarly, the spirit soul is eternally the same despite its material condition of life. We have practical experience of this. When we are absorbed in deep sleep without dreaming, the material senses become inactive, and even the mind and false ego are merged into a dormant condition. But although the senses, mind and false ego are inactive, one remembers upon waking that he, the soul, was peacefully sleeping.