Katha Upanishad 2.18Famous
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न जायते म्रियते वा विपश्चिन्नायं कुतश्चिन्न बभूव कश्चित्। अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे॥
na jāyate mriyate vā vipaścihnāyaṃ kutaścinna babhūva kaścit | ajo nityaḥ śāśvato'yaṃ purāṇo na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre ||
""The Self is not born, nor does it die. It did not come from anywhere, nor did anything come from it. Unborn, eternal, everlasting, ancient - it is not killed when the body is killed.""
What This Means:
Now Yama reveals the answer to Nachiketa's question: The Self never dies because it was never born. It's eternal, beyond the body.
Going Deeper:
This directly answers "Does the Self exist after death?" - It was never subject to birth or death. The body dies; the Self does not.
How To Apply This:
You are not the body. The essence of you was never born and cannot die. Contemplate this.
#eternal Self#immortality#birthless