SB 11.28.5 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

छायाप्रत्याह्वयाभासा ह्यसन्तोऽप्यर्थकारिण: । एवं देहादयो भावा यच्छन्त्यामृत्युतो भयम् ॥ ५ ॥

Verse text

chāyā-pratyāhvayābhāsā hy asanto ’py artha-kāriṇaḥ evaṁ dehādayo bhāvā yacchanty ā-mṛtyuto bhayam

Synonyms

chāyā — shadows ; pratyāhvaya — echoes ; ābhāsāḥ — and false appearances ; hi — indeed ; asantaḥ — nonexistent ; api — although ; artha — ideas ; kāriṇaḥ — creating ; evam — in the same way ; deha — ādayaḥ — the body and so on ; bhāvāḥ — material conceptions ; yacchanti — they give ; ā — mṛtyutaḥ — up to the point of death ; bhayam — fear .

Translation

Although shadows, echoes and mirages are only illusory reflections of real things, such reflections do cause a semblance of meaningful or comprehensible perception. In the same way, although the identification of the conditioned soul with the material body, mind and ego is illusory, this identification generates fear within him even up to the moment of death.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Although reflections, echoes and mirages are only illusory reflections of real things, they produce real experiences. In the same way, although the identification of the conditioned soul with the material body, mind and ego is illusory, this identification generates fear within him even up to the moment of death. “If duality is false, do perception of a pot or cloth have any real meaning?” Reflections, echoes, or mistaken perceptions, such as thinking a shell is silver, though not real objects, are still real experiences. Though ultimately false, seeing duality in objects, though actually false, gives us real experiences. Thus the state of having a body, though based on falsity, gives the jīva fear of suffering in saṁsāra up until death.

Purport

Although shadows, echoes and mirages are mere reflections of real substances, they create strong emotions in persons falsely accepting them as real. In the same manner, a conditioned soul is seized by such emotions as fear, lust, anger and hope because of his illusory perception of himself as the material body, mind and false ego. By practical example it is thus shown that even illusory objects may cause highly emotional reactions. Ultimately our emotions should be absorbed in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is eternal truth. Fear is forever vanquished when one takes shelter of the Lord’s lotus feet. One can then enjoy the pure emotions of liberated life.