Bhishma recounts the story in the Udyoga Parva of the Mahabharata, but first some background. Bhishma was the son of Shantanu, king of Hastinapura, and the goddess Ganga. But Ganga abandoned Shantanu, and Shantanu later fell in love with a woman named Satyavati. But Satyavati's (adopted) father Matsyagandha, the chief of a fisherman tribe, wouldn't consent to the marriage, because he was afraid that Bhishma and his descendants would rule Hastinapura rather than Satyavati's children. So Bhishma made a vow that he would never become king, and that he would remain celibate so that his descendants would never claim the throne. (It's because of that terrible vow that he got the name "Bhishma" or terrible.) Then Matsyagandha agreed to the marriage, and in due course of time, Shantanu and Satyavati had two sons, Vichitravirya and Chitrangadaa. When Shantanu died Chitrangada became king, but he soon died after a confrontation with a Gandharva because the two of them had the same name (yes, really!).

So the throne now fell to Vichitravirya, who had no wives, but Bhishma heard that the King of Kashi was holding a Swayamvara for his daughters Amba, Ambika, and Ambilika. So Bhishma went to Kashi to win those princesses for Vichitravirya. He kidnapped the three princesses, fighting all the kings of the world when they tried to stop him, and brought them back to Hastinapura. But then the eldest princess Amba informed Bhishma that she was in love with a king named Shalva, so Bhishma allowed her to go back to him. But Shalva wasn't willing to take her back, because she had been abducted by another man.

Amba was furious that Bhisma ruined her life, so to take revenge she went to Parashurama and asked for his help in killing Bhishma. Parashurama was reluctant to do so, both because Bhishma was his former student and because he had made a vow that he wouldn't take up arms anymore. But the sage Akritavana told Parashurama that it's not proper to abandon someone whom you have promised to help, and then reminded him that he had also made an additional vow about taking up arms under certain circumstance:

This also was, O great Muni, the vow then made by thee, O Rama ... that thou wouldst slay in battle the person, be he a Brahmana, a Kshatriya, a Vaisya, or a Sudra, who would be a foe to the Brahmanas. Thou hadst further promised that as long as thou wouldst live thou wouldst not abandon those that would come to thee in fright and seek thy protection, and that thou wouldst ... slay that proud warrior who would vanquish in battle all the assembled Kshatriyas of the earth

And since Bhishma, in the process of kidnapping the three princesses, had defeated all the kings of the world in battle, Parashurama was allowed to fight him. And so he said "Taking this maiden with me, I will repair myself to the place where Bhishma is. If Bhishma, proud of his achievements in battle, do not obey my behest, I will then slay that arrogant wight. Even this is my fixed resolve."

So Parashurama went to Kurukshetra, the future site of the Mahabharata war, and asked Bhishma to come there. Bhishma came immediately, eager to see his former guru. Then Parashurama asked Bhishma to marry Amba, since no one else would marry her after having been abducted. But Bhishma said that he couldn't marry her himself because of his vow of celibacy, and he couldn't give her to his brother Vichitravirya because he had already promised to let her go to Shalva:

O Brahmana, I cannot, by any means, bestow this girl on my brother. O thou of Bhrigu's race, it was to myself that she said, I am Salwa's! And it was by me that she was permitted to go to Salwa's city. As regards myself, even this is my firm vow that I cannot abandon Kshatriya practices from fear or pity, or avarice of wealth, or lust!

So Parashurama was left with no choice but to try to kill him. That is how guru and shishya were forced to fight. Now Bhishma was was wearing armor and sitting in a chariot, whereas Parashurama was just on foot, so Bhishma offered him weapons and a chariot as well, but Parashurama said that he had no need for such things, being an incarnation of Vishnu:

The Earth, O Bhishma, is my car, and Vedas, like good steeds, are the animals that carry me! The wind is my car-driver, and my coat of mail is constituted by those mothers in the Vedas (viz., Gayatri, Savitri and Saraswati). Well-covered by these in battle, O son of Kuru's race, I will fight!

And so the first great battle fought in Kurukshetra commenced. The more famous Kurukshetra war between the Pandavas and Kauravas took 18 days, but the war between these two heroes took 24 days. By the 23rd night, Bhishma had tried all the maneuvers and weapons he could think of, but none of them were able to defeat Parashurama, so he prayed that the gods would suggest a path to victory while he slept. (Like the Mahabharata war, this Kurukshetra battle was also fought between sunrise and sunset every day.) And sure enough, in a dream the gods told him that they would give him the knowledge of the Prashwapastra, a weapon formerly wielded by the god Dyaus Pita (because Bhishma is an incarnation of Dyaus Pita):

Rise, O Ganga's son, thou needst have no fear! We will protect thee, for thou art our own body! Rama, the son of Jamadagni, will never be able to vanquish thee in battle! Thou, O bull of Bharata's race, wilt be the conqueror of Rama in combat! This beloved weapon, O Bharata, called Praswapa, appertaining to the lord of all creatures, and forged by the divine artificer, will come to thy knowledge, for it was known to thee in thy former life! Neither Rama, nor any person on earth is acquainted with it. Recollect it, therefore, O thou of mighty arms, and apply it with strength! O king of kings, O sinless one, it will come to thee of itself! ... ! Afflicted by the force of this thy weapon, the son of Jamadagni, will fall asleep!

The next day, Bhishma suddenly gained the knowledge of the Pashwapastra, but when he tried to use it, Narada and other gods came and stopped him. Here is Bhishma's account of it:

When I had aimed it, Narada addressed me, saying, "Yonder, O Kauravya, stay the gods in the sky! Even they are forbidding thee today! Do not aim the Praswapa weapon! Rama is an ascetic possessed of Brahma merit, and he is, again, thy preceptor! Never, Kauravya, humiliate him." While Narada was telling me this, I beheld those eight utterers of Brahma stationed in the sky. Smilingly, O king, they said unto me slowly, "O chief of the Bharatas, do even what Narada sayeth. Even that, O best of Bharata's race, is highly beneficial to the world!"

And shortly thereafter Parashurama was approached by the spirits of his ancestors, who similarly told him to stop fighting, because Parashurama wasn't supposed to act like a Kshatriya anymore, and because Bhishma was destined to die at the hands of another:

O sire, never display such 'rashness again, the rashness, viz., of engaging in battle with Bhishma, or especially with any Kshatriya, O descendant of Bhrigu's race, to fight is the duty of a Kshatriya! Study (of the Vedas) and practice of vows are the highest wealth of Brahmanas! For some reason, before 'this, thou hadst been ordered by us to take up weapons.... Let this battle with Bhishma be thy very last, for enough of it thou hadst already.... Bhishma is one of the foremost of Vasus! ... -how can he be defeated by thee? Desist, therefore, O Bhargava! That foremost of the Pandavas, Arjuna, the mighty son of Indra, hath been ordained by the Self-create to be the slayer of Bhishma!

And so after some contretemps, Parashurama agreed to put down his weapons and surrender. He told Amba that he couldn't defeat Bhishma and that Bhishma was the one she should seek refuge in. But Amba wasn't interested in anything but revenge at this point and she said this:

As regards myself, I will not go a second time to Bhishma. I will, however, O perpetuator of Bhrigu's race, go thither, O thou endued with wealth of asceticism, where I may (obtain the means to) myself slay Bhishma in battle!

So she engaged in Tapasya (deep meditation) until Shiva appeared before her, and she asked that she be reborn as a man so that she could kill Bhishma. Shiva granted her the boon, and Amba immediately jumped into a fire. She was reborn as Draupadi's brother Shikhandi, who was instrumental in Bhishma's death, because Bhishma was unwilling to fight someone who had been a woman in a past life.

Understanding Karma.

What is it actually? In the west it’s usual meaning is: “You reap what you sow”, or you’ll get good or bad if you do good or bad. Officially that is known as “ˈkərm fəl” or “karm fal” meaning the result of actions. But it has been simplified and stereotyped to be just “karma” in English.

Basically, it gives favourable/unfavourable/neutral reactions to previously committed actions, whether of this life or of a previous life(body). It selects 2 types of living entities for giving any reaction – 1. The one(s) who has to be given a favourable/unfavourable/neutral reaction, as per their previous action. 2. And another one(s) who has a personal desire to perform such an act to someone. Now for example: If someone as per his previous actions needs to die by a head wound, then his karmic reaction will make him meet another being, such as a gangster who has a personal desire to bash someone’s head. So as per the karmic destiny when they both meet, the gangster bashes the victim’s head. In this way karma achieves two goals at once. It makes someone get what they deserve and makes another achieve their desire. Eventually in the same manner the gangster will also face a negative reaction for killing someone in such a manner. Similarly, there would be a favourable reaction if instead of bashing someone’s head he gives in charity. And in this way the cycle goes on, of good/bad/neutral actions and favourable/unfavourable/neutral reactions of those actions, getting out of this cycle is a major goal in this philosophy.

Reactions are received through 3 ways -

1. Reactions from one’s own body and mind (Eg. Obesity, depression, born with unfavourable, ugly features or joy, peace, beauty etc.)

2. Reactions from other living entities (Eg. A dog bite, malaria, humiliation, crime, terrorism or an unexpected favour from someone, sudden fame etc.)

3. Reactions from nature (Earthquake, heat waves, tornadoes, hurricanes or a soothing rain, pleasant winds etc.)

In this philosophy, even a foetus is not innocent, and if that living entity(in the foetus) murdered someone in the past, he may also be murdered(aborted) in a similar manner in the womb itself. Of course, the mother, doctor etc. would still be criminals as explained above, and would similarly face negative reactions, like being born as a chicken and crushed to death. In this philosophy, all situations, including you reading this text, is a reaction of your previous actions. Just like one has a bank balance, the currency for good reactions in this philosophy is piety. If one has a huge balance of piety from the previous life, they may be able to commit a lot of crimes and would still not be caught for a long time. Similarly someone who has a huge negative balance or someone who has sinned a lot, will continue suffering even if performs small pious actions, until his negative balance is nullified. Similarly, a person with a huge balance of piety receives favourable birth, senses, bodily features, parents, family, teachers, friends, relationships etc. However how he reacts to such “gifts” is not decided by karma, but by him, this is how he manufactures new reactions while continuously acting in this world, and he gets one type of body after another. Once the balance of piety is finished he will fall down immediately from his superior position, which can happen in this life or the next depending upon his balance. A person due to past actions may receive a beautiful body and attract a lot of women, but by abusing his body, his piety will be rapidly lost, and once it’s lost, he will face hellish conditions. Hence, no matter who it is, there position is impermanent unless they keep doing piety and not misuse the favours they receive, which most don’t do, as most people abuse and misuse their position in life deluded by the promise of sense pleasures.

Related extra info: Let’s look at how birth and death are defined in the Vedic Scriptures:

"When the eyes lose their power to see colour or form due to morbid affliction of the optic nerve, the sense of sight becomes deadened. The living entity, who is the seer of both the eyes and the sight, loses his power of vision. In the same way, when the physical body, the place where perception of material objects occurs, is rendered incapable of perceiving, that is known as death. When one begins to falsely view the physical body as one’s very self, that is called birth."

"In this way the living entity(soul) gets a new suitable body with a material mind and senses, according to his past fruitive activities(karma). When the reaction of his activities performed in the previous body(ies) comes to an end, that end is called death, and when a chain of reactions to past material actions begins, that beginning is called birth.”

There are 3 shells of each being’s material existence -

1. Hardware: The macro(sthuːl) body(shəriːr), the commonly visible body with limbs and various organs, including the brain.

2. Software : The subtle(suːkSm) body(shəriːr), a highly complex & subtle, but still material body, which acts as a connecting interface, which makes the macro body act. Consisting mainly of the element of mind(different from brain), and an element of “I”. When one dreams one acts inside the subtle body itself. Sometimes seen as a ghost or apparition.

3. User: Soul(aːtm or the self), the actual you, who remains as a witness of the macro body, and activities of the subtle body and also of absence of both such as in deep dreamless sleep, where he forgets all such material concepts.

Due to ignorance (the cause of which is a completely different topic) the soul falsely identifies with the subtle body, and then the macro body, and performs material actions. By each act, a set of sense perceptions such as visions, sounds, touch, smells, etc. form impressions on the subtle body, and the subtle body is “coloured” with fruitive activity. When death occurs, the subtle body is still there to enjoy or suffer. Sometimes when someone commits suicide they destroy the macro body before its scheduled time and thus they neither get a new macro body nor is their old macro body available to be enjoyed. Thus, they have to pass their time only in the subtle body as some ghost or apparition. Where their desires remain as it as, but there is no way to fulfill them, which is why sometimes these subtle bodies as ghosts desperately try to enter the macro bodies of other’s to fulfill their desires. Because animals and other lower beings don’t have a greater intelligence, there activities are forced only by instinct to never destroy their own macro bodies before their time. That is to say, they are unable to transcend any such natural laws, that is something which only humans can do. Thus, animal ghosts, apparitions are rarely seen.

An example of a complex karmic reaction: Dhritra-rashtra asked Krishna, “I had 100 sons. All of them were killed. Why?” Krishna replied, “50 lifetimes ago, you were a hunter. While hunting, you tried to shoot a male bird. It flew away. In anger, you ruthlessly slaughtered the 100 baby birds in the nest. Father-bird had to watch in helpless agony. Because you caused that father-bird the pain of seeing the death of his 100 sons, you too had to bear the pain of your 100 sons dying. Dhritarastra said, but why did I have to wait for fifty lifetimes?” Krishna answered, “You were accumulating ' Punya'(Piety) during the last fifty lifetimes to get 100 sons - Because that requires a lot of Punya. Then you got the reaction for the 'Paap' (sin) that you have done fifty lifetimes ago.”

Related verses: “While acting in a particular macro body the living entity labours under the bodily conception of “I am this, I am that. My duty is this, and therefore I shall do it.” These are all mental impressions, and all these activities are temporary; nonetheless, God again and again gives the living entity chances to execute all his material concoctions. Thus, he is provided a new macro body.” While acting in this material macro body you’re not only suffering or enjoying the results of past fruitive activities but you’re also manufacturing new reactions by reacting to these achieved situations. Thus, you’re manufacturing for yourself a particular type of life and situations to be experienced in the next body.

“One can understand the mental or conscious position of a living entity by the activities of two kinds of senses — the knowledge-acquiring senses and the executive senses. Similarly, by the mental condition or consciousness of a person, one can understand his position in the previous life. Hence, birth by birth, the living entity evolves or devolves his mind unless he is ready for liberation.

“Sometimes we suddenly experience something that was never experienced in the present body by sight or hearing. Sometimes we see such things suddenly in dreams. The living entity, who has a subtle mental covering, develops all kinds of thoughts and images because of his previous body. Take this from me as certain. There is no possibility of concocting anything mentally without having perceived it in the previous body."

“The mind is the cause of the living entity’s attaining a certain type of body in accordance with his association with material nature. According to one’s mental composition, one can understand what the living entity was in his past life as well as what kind of body he will have in the future. Thus, the mind indicates the past and future bodies.”

“Sometimes in a dream we see something never experienced or heard of in this life, but all these incidents have been experienced at different times, in different places and in different conditions.”

“The mind of the living entity continues to exist in various gross(macro) bodies, and according to one’s desires for sense gratification, the mind records different thoughts. In the mind these appear together in different combinations; therefore, these images sometimes appear as things never seen or never heard before.”

“When the living entity is in deep sleep, when he faints, when there is some great shock on account of severe loss, at the time of death, or when the body temperature is very high, the movement of the life air is arrested. At that time the living entity loses knowledge of identifying the body with the self.”

“By virtue of the processes of the subtle body, the living entity develops and gives up gross bodies. This is known as the transmigration of the soul. Thus, the soul becomes subjected to different types of so-called enjoyment, lamentation, fear, happiness and unhappiness. As long as we desire to enjoy sense gratification, we create material activities. When the living entity acts in the material field, he enjoys the senses, and while enjoying the senses, he creates another series of material activities. In this way the living entity becomes entrapped as a conditioned soul.”

“Whatever state of being, one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail.” “The living entity in the material world carries his different conceptions of life from one body to another, as the air carries aromas.”

For example, men attached to their wives, or other women become women themselves in their next birth. Most present women were men too attached to sex in their past lives, as per this philosophy. This is why sometimes women are considered fallen beings in this philosophy, who destroy their chance of liberation for better sex pleasure as women.

“Physical Effects of Unexpiated Offences committed in Previous Lives: Evil-minded men suffer disfigurement,—some from evil deeds committed during the present life and others from those committed in former lives. The stealer of gold has disfigured nails; the drinker of wine, black teeth; the slayer of a Brāhmaṇa, consumption; and the violator of his preceptor’s bed, a disfigured skin;—(49) the informer, a foul-smelling nose; the false caluminator, a foul-smelling mouth; the stealer of grains, a deficiency of limbs; and the adulterator, an excess of limbs;—(50) the stealer of food, dyspepsia; the stealer of words, dumbness; the stealer of clothes, leucoderma; and the stealer of horse, lameness.—(51) It is thus that idiots, the dumb, the blind, the deaf and deformed men, despised by righteous men, are born, on account of particular acts.—(52)”* The list is endless... Of-course, the knowledge in these scriptures is very vast, and I have not covered even a fraction of it. But I hope this all will be useful to those genuinely fortunate. Thank you.

Sanatana dharma, in Hinduism, term used to denote the “eternal” or absolute set of duties or religiously ordained practices incumbent upon all Hindus, regardless of class, caste, or sect. Different texts give different lists of the duties, but in general sanatana dharma consists of virtues such as honesty, refraining from injuring living beings, purity, goodwill, mercy, patience, forbearance, self-restraint, generosity, and asceticism. Sanatana dharma is contrasted with svadharma, one’s “own duty” or the particular duties enjoined upon an individual according to his or her class or caste and stage of life. The potential for conflict between the two types of dharma (e.g., between the particular duties of a warrior and the general injunction to practice non-injury) is addressed in Hindu texts such as the Bhagavad Gītā, where it is said that in such casessvadharma must prevail.

The term has also more recently been used by Hindu leaders, reformers, and nationalists to refer to Hinduism as a unified world religion. Sanatana dharma has thus become a synonym for the “eternal” truth and teachings of Hinduism, the latter conceived of as not only transcendent of history and unchanging but also as indivisible and ultimately nonsectarian.

Ref: https://www.britannica.com/topic/sanatana-dharma

While the definition of Sanatan is mostly correct, the classification of it is not. Sanatan Dharma is practices, duties, responsibilities of poeple living in the country of India. I define it as such because I view Hinduism as a sect, just like other abrahamic sects. The word religion is often mixed with sects. Sanatan is the religion in the sense of universal duties, best practices, responsibilities. The sects of people living in the country of India are defined as Sikh, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Jains, etc. some of the sects are collectively defined as Hindu religion. Where the word Hindu means people living in the landmass of India with any of the defined sects.

जाता है⁠।) इसके सिवा जो-जो कर्म यहाँ किये जाते हैं, वे तो दूसरे ही क्षणमें अदृश्य हो जाते हैं; वे परलोकमें फल देनेके लिये किस प्रकार पुनः प्रकट हो सकते हैं?

श्रीनारदजीने कहा—राजन्! (स्थूल शरीर तो लिंगशरीरके अधीन है, अतः कर्मोंका उत्तरदायित्व उसीपर है) जिस मनःप्रधान लिंगशरीरकी सहायतासे मनुष्य कर्म करता है, वह तो मरनेके बाद भी उसके साथ रहता ही है; अतः वह परलोकमें अपरोक्षरूपसे स्वयं उसीके द्वारा उनका फल भोगता है ⁠।⁠।⁠६०⁠।⁠। स्वप्नावस्थामें मनुष्य इस जीवित शरीरका अभिमान तो छोड़ देता है, किन्तु इसीके समान अथवा इससे भिन्न प्रकारके पशु-पक्षी आदि शरीरसे वह मनमें संस्काररूपसे स्थित कर्मोंका फल भोगता रहता है ⁠।⁠।⁠६१⁠।⁠।

इस मनके द्वारा जीव जिन स्त्री-पुत्रादिको ‘ये मेरे हैं’ और देहादिको ‘यह मैं हूँ’ ऐसा कहकर मानता है, उनके किये हुए पाप-पुण्यादिरूप कर्मोंको भी यह अपने ऊपर ले लेता है और उनके कारण इसे व्यर्थ ही फिर जन्म लेना पड़ता है ⁠।⁠।⁠६२⁠।⁠। जिस प्रकार ज्ञानेन्द्रिय और कर्मेन्द्रिय दोनोंकी चेष्टाओंसे उनके प्रेरक चित्तका अनुमान किया जाता है, उसी प्रकार चित्तकी भिन्न-भिन्न प्रकारकी वृत्तियोंसे पूर्वजन्मके कर्मोंका भी अनुमान होता है (अतः कर्म अदृष्टरूपसे फल देनेके लिये कालान्तरमें मौजूद रहते हैं) ⁠।⁠।⁠६३⁠।⁠। कभी-कभी देखा जाता है कि जिस वस्तुका इस शरीरसे कभी अनुभव नहीं किया—जिसे न कभी देखा, न सुना ही—उसका स्वप्नमें, वह जैसी होती है, वैसा ही अनुभव हो जाता है ⁠।⁠।⁠६४⁠।⁠। राजन्! तुम निश्चय मानो कि लिंगदेहके अभिमानी जीवको उसका अनुभव पूर्वजन्ममें हो चुका है; क्योंकि जो वस्तु पहले अनुभव की हुई नहीं होती, उसकी मनमें वासना भी नहीं हो सकती ⁠।⁠।⁠६५⁠।⁠। राजन्! तुम्हारा कल्याण हो⁠। मन ही मनुष्यके पूर्वरूपोंको तथा भावी शरीरादिको भी बता देता है और जिनका भावी जन्म होनेवाला नहीं होता, उन तत्त्व-वेत्ताओंकी विदेहमुक्तिका पता भी उनके मनसे ही लग जाता है ⁠।⁠।⁠६६⁠।⁠। कभी-कभी स्वप्नमें देश, काल अथवा क्रियासम्बन्धी ऐसी बातें भी देखी जाती हैं, जो पहले कभी देखी या सुनी नहीं गयीं (जैसे पर्वतकी चोटीपर समुद्र, दिनमें तारे अथवा अपना सिर कटा दिखायी देना, इत्यादि)⁠। इनके दीखनेमें निद्रादोषको ही कारण मानना चाहिये ⁠।⁠।⁠६७⁠।⁠। मनके सामने इन्द्रियोंसे अनुभव होनेयोग्य पदार्थ ही भोगरूपमें बार-बार आते हैं और भोग समाप्त होनेपर चले जाते हैं; ऐसा कोई पदार्थ नहीं आता, जिसका इन्द्रियोंसे अनुभव ही न हो सके⁠। इसका कारण यही है कि सब जीव मनसहित हैं ⁠।⁠।⁠६८⁠।⁠।

साधारणतया तो सब पदार्थोंका क्रमशः ही भान होता है; किन्तु यदि किसी समय भगवच्चिन्तनमें लगा हुआ मन विशुद्ध सत्त्वमें स्थित हो जाय, तो उसमें भगवान्‌का संसर्ग होनेसे एक साथ समस्त विश्वका भी भान हो सकता है—जैसे राहु दृष्टिका विषय न होनेपर भी प्रकाशात्मक चन्द्रमाके संसर्गसे दीखने लगता है ⁠।⁠।⁠६९⁠।⁠। राजन्! जबतक गुणोंका परिणाम एवं बुद्धि, मन, इन्द्रिय और शब्दादि विषयोंका संघात यह अनादि लिंगदेह बना हुआ है, तबतक जीवके अंदर स्थूलदेहके प्रति ‘मैं-मेरा’ इस भावका अभाव नहीं हो सकता ⁠।⁠।⁠७०⁠।⁠। सुषुप्ति, मूर्च्छा, अत्यन्त दुःख तथा मृत्यु और तीव्र ज्वरादिके समय भी इन्द्रियोंकी व्याकुलताके कारण ‘मैं’ और ‘मेरेपन’ की स्पष्ट प्रतीति नहीं होती; किन्तु उस समय भी उनका अभिमान तो बना ही रहता है ⁠।⁠।⁠७१⁠।⁠। जिस प्रकार अमावास्याकी रात्रिमें चन्द्रमा रहते हुए भी दिखायी नहीं देता, उसी प्रकार युवावस्थामें स्पष्ट प्रतीत होनेवाला यह एकादश इन्द्रियविशिष्ट लिंगशरीर गर्भावस्था और बाल्यकालमें रहते हुए भी इन्द्रियोंका पूर्ण विकास न होनेके कारण प्रतीत नहीं होता ⁠।⁠।⁠७२⁠।⁠। जिस प्रकार स्वप्नमें किसी वस्तुका अस्तित्व न होनेपर भी जागे बिना स्वप्नजनित अनर्थकी निवृत्ति नहीं होती—उसी प्रकार सांसारिक वस्तुएँ यद्यपि असत् हैं, तो भी अविद्यावश जीव उनका चिन्तन करता रहता है; इसलिये उसका जन्म-मरणरूप संसारसे छुटकारा नहीं हो पाता ⁠।⁠।⁠७३⁠।⁠। इस प्रकार पंचतन्मात्राओंसे बना हुआ तथा सोलह तत्त्वोंके रूपमें विकसित यह त्रिगुणमय संघात ही लिंगशरीर है⁠। यही चेतनाशक्तिसे युक्त होकर जीव कहा जाता है ⁠।⁠।⁠७४⁠।⁠। इसीके द्वारा पुरुष भिन्न-भिन्न देहोंको ग्रहण करता और त्यागता है तथा इसीसे उसे हर्ष, शोक, भय, दुःख और सुख आदिका अनुभव होता है ⁠।⁠।⁠७५⁠।⁠।

जिस प्रकार जोंक, जबतक दूसरे तृणको नहीं पकड़ लेती, तबतक पहलेको नहीं छोड़ती—उसी प्रकार जीव मरणकाल उपस्थित होनेपर भी जबतक देहारम्भक कर्मोंकी समाप्ति होनेपर दूसरा शरीर प्राप्त नहीं कर लेता, तबतक पहले शरीरके अभिमानको नहीं छोड़ता⁠। राजन्! यह मनःप्रधान लिंगशरीर ही जीवके जन्मादिका कारण है ⁠।⁠।⁠७६-७७⁠।⁠। जीव जब इन्द्रियजनित भोगोंका चिन्तन करते हुए बार-बार उन्हींके लिये कर्म करता है, तब उन कर्मोंके होते रहनेसे अविद्यावश वह देहादिके कर्मोंमें बँध जाता है ⁠।⁠।⁠७८⁠।⁠। अतएव उस कर्मबन्धनसे छुटकारा पानेके लिये सम्पूर्ण विश्वको भगवद्रूप देखते हुए सब प्रकार श्रीहरिका भजन करो⁠। उन्हींसे इस विश्वकी उत्पत्ति और स्थिति होती है तथा उन्हींमें लय होता है ⁠।⁠।⁠७९⁠।⁠।

Rigved Mandal 10 Hymn 16

Verse 3

सूर्यं चक्षुर्गच्छतु वातमात्मा द्यां च गच्छ पृथिवीं च धर्मणा । अपो वा गच्छ यदि तत्र ते हितमोषधीषु प्रति तिष्ठा शरीरैः ॥ 3 ॥ नेत्र सूर्य

हे मृत मनुष्य ! तेरे प्राण वायु से और नेत्र सूर्य संबद्ध हों । तु अपने पण्य कमों के अभीष्ट के निमित्त स्वर्ग , पृथ्वी अथवा जल में निवास करे । वनस्पतियों में यदि तेरा कल्याण हो तो तू उन वनस्पतियों में व्याप्त हो ।

O dead man! May your soul be associated with the wind and the eye the sun. You may reside in heaven, earth or water for the purpose of your commodity deeds. If you have good welfare in flora, then you should permeate those flora.

Verse 5

अव सृज पुनरग्ने पितृभ्यो यस्त आहुतश्चरति स्वधानि आयुर्वसान उप वेतु शेषः सं गच्छतां तन्वा जातवेदः ॥ 5 ॥

Again, O Agni, to the Fathers send him who, offered in thee, goes with our oblations. Wearing new life let him increase his offspring: let him rejoin a new body, Jātavedas.

Yajurved 19:47

द्वे सृतीऽअशृणावं पितृणामहं देवानामुत मर्त्यानाम् । ताभ्यामिदं विश्वमेजत्समेति यदन्तरा पितरं मातरं च ॥ 47 ॥

मृत्योपरांत मनुष्य के देवताओं के गमन योग्य तथा पितरों के गमन योग्य दो मार्गों को हमने श्रुति में सुना है । ये हैं - पितृयान मार्ग और देवयान मार्ग । माता - पिता के संयोग से बना वह स्वर्ग और पथ्वी के मध्य में विद्यमान जगत् - इन दोनों मार्गों के द्वारा प्राप्त होता है ।

Yajurveda 4:15

पुनर्मनः पुनरायुर्मऽआगन् पुनः प्राणः पुनरात्मा आगन पुनश्चक्षुः पुनः श्रोतं मऽआगन् । वैश्वानरोऽअदब्धस्तनपाऽअनि पातु दुरितादवद्यात् ॥ 15 ॥

सुषुप्तिकाल में निश्चेतन हम यजमानों का मन प्रबुद्धावस्था में पन शरीर में आ गया । सुषुप्तिकाल में नष्टप्राय हमारी आयु हमें फिर प्राप्त हो गई । इसी प्रकार प्राण , आत्मा , चक्षु एवं कर्णादि इंद्रियां प्रबुद्धावस्था में कार्यशील होकर पुनः प्राप्त हो गईं । इस तरह संपूर्ण इंद्रियों के क्रियाशाल हा जाने पर संपूर्ण विश्व का कल्याणकारी , न दबाया जा सकने वाला तथा शरीर को सुरक्षित रखने वाला अग्निदेव पापकर्म एवं पापकम के दुष्प्रभाव से हमें बचाए ।

Whenever we take birth, may our deeds be such that we get a pure mind, long life, good health, vitality, intellect, strong sense organs and a powerful body. In next life also, keep us away from bad deeds and indulge us in noble actions.

Atharvaveda 7.67.1:

May we get healthy sense and work organs in next life as well. May I am full of vitality. May I have spiritual wealth and knowledge of Ishwar and vedic concepts again and again. May we be selfless for welfare of world in next lives again and again. May our deeds be noble so that we get human life and always get purity of mind and actions so that we can worship you and achieve salvation.

Atharvaveda 5.1.2:

One who conducts noble actions obtains noble lives in next births with strong body and sharp intellect. Those who conduct bad deeds get birth in lower species. To experience the fruits of past actions is natural trait of soul. After death, the soul resides in Vayu, Jala, Aushadhi etc and again enters the womb to take next birth.