Devanagari
एवं योनिगतो जीव: स नित्यो निरहङ्कृत: ।
यावद्यत्रोपलभ्येत तावत्स्वत्वं हि तस्य तत् ॥ ८ ॥
Verse text
evaṁ yoni-gato jīvaḥ
sa nityo nirahaṅkṛtaḥ
yāvad yatropalabhyeta
tāvat svatvaṁ hi tasya tat
Synonyms
evam
—
thus
;
yoni
—
gataḥ — being within a specific species of life
;
jīvaḥ
—
the living entity
;
saḥ
—
he
;
nityaḥ
—
eternal
;
nirahaṅkṛtaḥ
—
without identification with the body
;
yāvat
—
as long as
;
yatra
—
where
;
upalabhyeta
—
he may be found
;
tāvat
—
that long
;
svatvam
—
the concept of self
;
hi
—
indeed
;
tasya
—
of him
;
tat
—
that .
Translation
Even though one living entity becomes connected with another because of a relationship based on bodies that are perishable, the living entity is eternal. Actually it is the body that is born or lost, not the living entity. One should not accept that the living entity takes birth or dies. The living being actually has no relationship with so-called fathers and mothers. As long as he appears as the son of a certain father and mother as a result of his past fruitive activities, he has a connection with the body given by that father and mother. Thus he falsely accepts himself as their son and acts affectionately. After he dies, however, the relationship is finished. Under these circumstances, one should not be falsely involved with jubilation and lamentation.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
The jīva who has entered a body is actually without specific material identity. As long as the jīva stays in his body he identifies himself as the son of a particular father.
Actually the soul has no material identity. As long as he attains a body with a father (yatra), he thinks himself his son (tasya). Or, though the jīva is without identity, as long as it is in some body (yatra) the jīva (tasya) identifies himself with that body. How can I have false identity since I do not identify with that body any more? Therefore it is not proper to tell me to reenter the body.
Purport
When the living entity lives within the material body, he falsely thinks that he is the body, although actually he is not. His relationship with his body and his so-called father and mother are false, illusory conceptions. These illusions continue as long as one is not enlightened about the situation of the living entity.