Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4.2Famous
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स यथा तृणजलायुका तृणस्यान्तं गत्वाऽन्यमाक्रममाक्रम्यात्मानमुपसंहरत्येवमेवायमात्मेदं शरीरं निहत्याविद्यां गमयित्वाऽन्यमाक्रममाक्रम्यात्मानमुपसंहरति॥
sa yathā tṛṇajalāyukā tṛṇasyāntaṃ gatvā\'nyamākramamākramyātmānamupasaṃharatyеvamevāyamātmedaṃ śarīraṃ nihatyāvidyāṃ gamayitvā\'nyamākramamākramyātmānaṃ upasaṃharati ||
"Just as a caterpillar, reaching the end of a blade of grass, takes hold of another blade and draws itself over, so does the Self, after leaving this body and dispelling ignorance, take hold of another and draw itself over."
What This Means:
Like a caterpillar moving from one grass blade to another, the Self leaves one body and moves to the next.
Going Deeper:
The caterpillar analogy: the Self secures the next body before leaving the current one. Death is a transition, not an end.
How To Apply This:
Death is transition, not extinction. The Self moves from body to body like a caterpillar between grass blades.
#caterpillar#transmigration#transition#rebirth