FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.23.16

खान्याकाशे द्रवं तोये यथास्थानं विभागश: । क्षितिमम्भसि तत्तेजस्यदो वायौ नभस्यमुम् ॥ १६ ॥
khāny ākāśe dravaṁ toye
[khaany aakaashe dravam toye]
yathā-sthānaṁ vibhāgaśaḥ
[yathaa-sthaanam vibhaagashah]
kṣitim ambhasi tat tejasy
[kshitim ambhasi tat tejasy]
ado vāyau nabhasy amum
[ado vaayau nabhasy amum]
khāni — the different holes in the body for the sense organs ākāśe — in the sky dravam — the liquid substance toye — in the water yathā-sthānam — according to proper situation vibhāgaśaḥ — as they are divided kṣitim — earth ambhasi — in the water tat — that tejasi — in the fire adaḥ — the fire vāyau — in the air nabhasi — in the sky amum — that.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
khāny ākāśe dravaṁ toye
khāni
the different holes in the body for the sense organs
ākāśe
in the sky
dravam
the liquid substance
toye
in the water
yathā-sthānaṁ vibhāgaśaḥ
yathā-sthānam
according to proper situation
vibhāgaśaḥ
as they are divided
kṣitim ambhasi tat tejasy
kṣitim
earth
ambhasi
in the water
tat
that
tejasi
in the fire
ado vāyau nabhasy amum
adaḥ
the fire
vāyau
in the air
nabhasi
in the sky
amum
that.
In this way, according to the different positions of the various parts of the body, Pṛthu Mahārāja merged the holes of his senses with the sky; his bodily liquids, such as blood and various secretions, with the totality of water; and he merged earth with water, then water with fire, fire with air, air with sky, and so on.

In this verse two words are very important: yathā-sthānaṁ vibhāgaśaḥ. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Second Canto, Fifth Chapter, Lord Brahmā clearly explained to Nārada how the creation took place, and he explained one step after another the proper divisions of the senses, the controller of the senses, the objects of the senses, and the material elements, and he also explained how they are created one after another: the air from the sky, the fire from the air, the water from the fire, the earth from the water, etc. It is important to know thoroughly the process of creation as it applies to this cosmic manifestation. Similarly, this body is also created according to the same process by the Supreme Lord. The Personality of Godhead, after entering the universe, creates the cosmic manifestations one after another. Similarly, the living entity, after entering a womb of a mother, also collects his gross and subtle bodies, taking ingredients from the totality of sky, air, fire, water and earth. The words yathā-sthānaṁ vibhāgaśaḥ indicate that one should know the process of creation and should meditate upon the creative process inversely and thus become free from material contamination.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
He merged the ether in his body with the totality of ether, and the water in his body with the totality of water. He merged earth into water, water into fire, fire into air and air into ether. Khāni means the holes in the body (ether). Dravam means water in the body. After destroying the body, one meditates on destroying the five elements to achieve the ātmā separate from the body. One merges earth into water etc.
Sense-holes merged with sky; fluids with water; earth with water, water with fire, etc. The reverse of creation is a clean unwinding; death rightly performed is a reverse-creation.
Reflection Questions
  • Where do I imagine death as random when scripture treats it as structured?
  • What aspect of my life right now mirrors a tidy unwinding rather than chaotic accumulation?
📝 My note

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