कालेन ह्योघवेगेन भूतानां प्रभवाप्ययौ । नित्यावपि न दृश्येते आत्मनोऽग्नेर्यथार्चिषाम् ॥ ४९ ॥
kālena hy ogha-vegena bhūtānāṁ prabhavāpyayau nityāv api na dṛśyete ātmano ’gner yathārciṣām
- kālena
- by time
- hi
- indeed
- ogha
- like a flood
- vegena
- whose speed
- bhūtānām
- of created bodies
- prabhava
- the birth
- apyayau
- and demise
- nityau
- constant
- api
- although
- na dṛśyete
- are not seen
- ātmanaḥ
- related to the spirit soul
- agneḥ
- of fire
- yathā
- just as
- arciṣām
- of the flames
The flames of a fire appear and disappear at every moment, and yet this creation and destruction is not noticed by the ordinary observer. Similarly, the mighty waves of time flow constantly, like the powerful currents of a river, and imperceptibly cause the birth, growth and death of innumerable material bodies. And yet the soul, who is thus constantly forced to change his position, cannot perceive the actions of time.