When the body which is a union of the elements, becomes separated into five ingredients, whither doth life go? What doth it then know? What doth it then hear? What doth it then say? This cow (that is given away to a holy Brahmana), it is said, will rescue me in the other world. The animal, however, that is given away, itself dies. Whom then will this cow rescue? The taker of the cow (in gift) and the giver are both equal (in being both subject to death). Both of them meet with extinction in this world. How then will they meet again? How will the person that has been eaten up by birds, or that has been broken in pieces by a fall from a mountain summit, or that has been consumed by fire, regain life? The root of a tree that has been cut down does not grow up again. Only the seeds put forth sprouts. Where is the person who having died comes back (to some sort of new existence)? Only seeds were originally created. All this universe is the result of seeds in succession. They that die, die to perish Seeds result from seeds.'"'"Mbh 12.186.1b · Mahabharata · SANTI PARVA
Mbh 12.186.1b
Mahabharata · translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli
Themes in this passage
Death in other traditions
The same theme, as Christianity, Islam, Taoism and Hellenism address it.
And the children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish.Numbers 17:12 · Bible · Numbers
Lo! thou wilt die, and lo! they will die;Quran 39:30 · Quran · The Companies
The people do not fear death; to what purpose is it to (try to) frighten them with death? If the people were always in awe of death, and I could always seize those who do wrong, and put them to death, who would dare to do wrong?Tao Te Ching 74.1 · Tao Te Ching
These words, attended with a shower of tears, The youth address’d to unrelenting ears: “Talk not of life, or ransom (he replies): Patroclus dead, whoever meets me, dies: In vain a single Trojan sues for grace; But least, the sons of Priam’s hateful race. Die then, my friend! what boots it to deplore? The great, the good Patroclus is no more! He, far thy better, was foredoom’d to die, And thou, dost thou bewail mortality? Seest thou not me, whom nature’s gifts adorn, Sprung from a hero, from a goddess born? The day shall come (which nothing can avert) When by the spear, the arrow, or the dart, By night, or day, by force, or by design, Impending death and certain fate are mine! Die then,”—He said; and as the word he spoke, The fainting stripling sank before the stroke: His hand forgot its grasp, and left the spear, While all his trembling frame confess’d his fear: Sudden, Achilles his broad sword display’d, And buried in his neck the reeking blade. Prone fell the youth; and panting on the land, The gushing purple dyed the thirsty sand. The victor to the stream the carcase gave, And thus insults him, floating on the wave:Iliad 21.7 · Iliad · 21
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