avyaktādīni bhūtāni vyakta-madhyāni bhārata avyakta-nidhanāny eva tatra kā paridevanā
"All beings are unmanifest before birth, manifest in the middle, and unmanifest again after death. What is there to grieve about?"
What This Means:
Before you were born, where were you? Unmanifest—not visible in this world. Now you're here, manifest. After death, you'll be unmanifest again. This is like waves in the ocean—they rise, exist for a while, then return to the ocean. The wave wasn't destroyed; it just returned to its source.
Going Deeper:
The cycle is: unmanifest → manifest → unmanifest. We only see the middle part and think that's the whole story. But existence continues before and after the 'manifest' phase. Grief comes from thinking manifestation is the only reality. When you see the bigger picture, grief seems unnecessary.
How To Apply This:
Think about where you were before birth—not nowhere, but in a different state. Think about where you'll be after death—not nowhere, but again in a different state. This manifest life is like a brief appearance on stage between two vast backstage periods. Make your time on stage count, but don't cling to it.
Key Sanskrit Terms: