SB 10.49.21 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

एक: प्रसूयते जन्तुरेक एव प्रलीयते । एकोऽनुभुङ्क्ते सुकृतमेक एव च दुष्कृतम् ॥ २१ ॥

Verse text

ekaḥ prasūyate jantur eka eva pralīyate eko ’nubhuṅkte sukṛtam eka eva ca duṣkṛtam

Synonyms

ekaḥ — alone ; prasūyate — is born ; jantuḥ — a living creature ; ekaḥ — alone ; eva — also ; pralīyate — meets his demise ; ekaḥ — alone ; anubhuṅkte — enjoys as is due him ; sukṛtam — his good reactions ; ekaḥ — alone ; eva ca — and surely ; duṣkṛtam — bad reactions .

Translation

Every creature is born alone and dies alone, and alone one experiences the just rewards of his good and evil deeds.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Every creature is born alone and dies alone, and alone one experiences the just rewards of his good and evil deeds. KB 10.49.21 Although we appear combined together in a family, society or nation, each of us has an individual destiny. Everyone takes birth according to individual past work; therefore everyone must individually enjoy or suffer the result of his own karma. There is no possibility of improving one’s destiny by cooperative living.

Purport

The term anubhuṅkte is significant here. Bhuṅkte means “(the living being) experiences,” and anu means “following,” or “in sequence.” In other words, we experience happiness and distress according to the moral and spiritual quality of our activities. We are responsible for what we do. Dhṛtarāṣṭra was falsely and obsessively attached to his evil-minded sons, forgetting that he alone would have to suffer for his imprudent behavior.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

"There, at the time of birth and death, happiness and distress, one has no relationship with others, one is alone."

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

One is born alone and dies alone. Instead of pralīyate sometimes pramīyate (is destroyed) is seen. The word eva should be understood after all the words ekaḥ. No friend helps when one is prosperous what to speak of when one is in danger. The word ca means “all.” One alone enjoys after death (anu) in another body all the good and bad results of karma after being together with sons.

Purport (Sanatana Goswami)

One is born alone and dies alone. Instead of pralīyate sometimes pramīyate (is destroyed) is seen. Living beings are born without free choice of their bodies. They must experience in that particular body. One enjoys or suffers after death (anu) as previously mentioned (ca). After enjoying with sons in one life, in the next one must suffer and enjoy all alone.