FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.12.25

खे खानि वायौ निश्वासांस्तेज:सूष्माणमात्मवान् । अप्स्वसृक्‍श्लेष्मपूयानि क्षितौ शेषं यथोद्भ‍वम् ॥ २५ ॥
khe khāni vāyau niśvāsāṁs
[khe khaani vaayau nishvaasaams]
tejaḥsūṣmāṇam ātmavān
[tejahsooshmaanam aatmavaan]
apsv asṛk-śleṣma-pūyāni
[apsv asrik-shleshma-pooyaani]
kṣitau śeṣaṁ yathodbhavam
[kshitau shesham yathodbhavam]
Word-for-word
khe — in the sky khāni — all the holes of the body vāyau — in the air niśvāsān — all the different airs moving within the body (prāṇa, apāna, etc.) tejaḥsu — in fire uṣmāṇam — the heat of the body ātma-vān — a person who knows the self apsu — in water asṛk — blood śleṣma — mucus pūyāni — and urine kṣitau — in the earth śeṣam — the remaining (namely skin, bones and the other hard things in the body) yathā-udbhavam — wherefrom all of them grew.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
khe khāni vāyau niśvāsāṁs
khe
in the sky
khāni
all the holes of the body
vāyau
in the air
niśvāsān
all the different airs moving within the body (prāṇa, apāna, etc.)
tejaḥsūṣmāṇam ātmavān
tejaḥsu
in fire
uṣmāṇam
the heat of the body
ātma-vān
a person who knows the self
apsv asṛk-śleṣma-pūyāni
apsu
in water
asṛk
blood
śleṣma
mucus
pūyāni
and urine
kṣitau śeṣaṁ yathodbhavam
kṣitau
in the earth
śeṣam
the remaining (namely skin, bones and the other hard things in the body)
yathā-udbhavam
wherefrom all of them grew.
A sober, self-realized person who has full knowledge should merge the various parts of the body in their original sources. The holes in the body are caused by the sky, the process of breathing is caused by the air, the heat of the body is caused by fire, and semen, blood and mucus are caused by water. The hard substances, like skin, muscle and bone, are caused by earth. In this way all the constituents of the body are caused by various elements, and they should be merged again into those elements.
Purport

To be self-realized, one must understand the original sources of the various elements of the body. The body is a combination of skin, bone, muscle, blood, semen, urine, stool, heat, breath and so on, which all come from earth, water, fire, air and sky. One must be well conversant with the sources of all the bodily constituents. Then one becomes a self-realized person, or ātmavān, one who knows the self.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
He should merge the holes in the body into the ether, breathing into air, the heat of the body into fire, and semen, blood, mucus and urine into water. He should merge the remainder, such as skin, muscle and bone, into earth. They are merged into their sources. The sentence is connected with the previous verse. He should merge the holes of the body into ether. Śeṣam means hard substances like bone and flesh.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Merge holes into sky, breath into air, heat into fire, semen/blood/mucus into water, hard substances into earth. The body returns piece by piece to its sources. Self-realization knows the original sources of each constituent.
Reflection Questions
  • How much of your body do you experience as 'borrowed from elements' versus 'mine'?
  • What contemplation could deepen the experience of elemental return?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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