FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.22.50

तरोर्बीजविपाकाभ्यां यो विद्वाञ्जन्मसंयमौ । तरोर्विलक्षणो द्रष्टा एवं द्रष्टा तनो: पृथक् ॥ ५० ॥
taror bīja-vipākābhyāṁ
[taror beeja-vipaakaabhyaam]
yo vidvāṣ janma-saṁyamau
[yo vidvaash janma-samyamau]
taror vilakṣaṇo draṣṭā
[taror vilakshano drashtaa]
evaṁ draṣṭā tanoḥ pṛthak
[evam drashtaa tanoh prithak]
taroḥ — of a tree bīja — (birth from) its seed vipākābhyām — (destruction subsequent to) maturity yaḥ — one who vidvān — in knowledge janma — of birth saṁyamau — and death taroḥ — from the tree vilakṣaṇaḥ — distinct draṣṭā — the witness evam — in the same way draṣṭā — the witness tanoḥ — of the material body pṛthak — is separate.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
taror bīja-vipākābhyāṁ
taroḥ
of a tree
bīja
(birth from) its seed
vipākābhyām
(destruction subsequent to) maturity
yo vidvāṣ janma-saṁyamau
yaḥ
one who
taror vilakṣaṇo draṣṭā
vidvān
in knowledge
janma
of birth
saṁyamau
and death
taroḥ
from the tree
vilakṣaṇaḥ
distinct
evaṁ draṣṭā tanoḥ pṛthak
draṣṭā
the witness
evam
in the same way
draṣṭā
the witness
tanoḥ
of the material body
pṛthak
is separate.
One who observes the birth of a tree from its seed and the ultimate death of the tree after maturity certainly remains a distinct observer separate from the tree. In the same way, the witness of the birth and death of the material body remains separate from it.

As a reference to trees, vipāka indicates the final transformation called death. In reference to other types of plants such as rice, vipāka indicates the stage of maturity, in which death also occurs. Thus by common observation one can understand the actual position of one’s material body and one’s own position as the transcendental observer.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
One who observes the birth of a plant from its seed and the ultimate death of the tree after maturity certainly remains a distinct observer separate from the tree. In the same way, the witness of the birth and death of the material body remains separate from it. This is made clear by an example. The word “tree” indicates any plant. One who knows birth and death by seeing the seed and the results in the form of harvested rice remains different from the body.
One who sees a tree's birth from seed and its death after maturity remains observer, distinct from the tree; similarly, the witness of bodily birth and death is separate from the body. Witnessing position is the relief.
Reflection Questions
  • When did I last actually feel like the witness rather than the body?
  • What conditions allowed that?
📝 My note

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