देहः किमन्नदातुः स्वं निषेक्तुर्मातुरेव च मातुः पितुर्वा बलिनः क्रेतुरग्नेः शुनो ऽपि वा
dehaḥ kim anna-dātuḥ svaṁ niṣektur mātur eva ca mātuḥ pitur vā balinaḥ kretur agneḥ śuno 'pi vā
Synonyms
dehaḥ—this body; kim anna-dātuḥ—does it belong to the employer who gives me the money to maintain it; svam—or does it belong to me personally; niṣektuḥ—(or does it belong) to the person who discharged the semen; mātuḥ eva—(or does it belong) to the mother who maintained this body within her womb; ca—and; mātuḥ pituḥ vā—or (does it belong) to the father of the mother (because sometimes the father of the mother takes a grandson as an adopted son); balinaḥ—(or does it belong) to the person who takes this body away by force; kretuḥ—or to the person who purchases the body as a slave; agneḥ—or to the fire (because ultimately the body is burned); śunaḥ—or to the dogs and vultures that ultimately eat it; api—even; vā—or..
Translation
While alive, does this body belong to its employer, to the self, to the father, the mother, or the mother's father? Does it belong to the person who takes it away by force, to the slave master who purchases it, or to the sons who burn it in the fire? Or, if the body is not burned, does it belong to the dogs that eat it? Among the many possible claimants, who is the rightful claimant? Not to ascertain this but instead to maintain the body by sinful activities is not good.