Verse (Roman transliteration)
Yaavat Pavano Nivasati Dehe,
Taavat Prichchati Kushalam Gehe
Gatavati Vaayau Dehaapaaye,
Bhaaryaa Bibhyati Tasmin Kaaye
Translation
As long as there is breath in the body, people enquire about your wellbeing. The moment the breath departs, even your spouse is afraid of the same body.
The teaching
The most intimate bond — marriage — dissolves the moment life leaves the body. The person who shared your bed for decades becomes something to fear in death. Shankara uses this stark image not to terrify, but to illuminate: what is real cannot be the physical form. Something beyond the body must be cultivated if we are to live — and die — with peace.
Living this today
Illustrative example: When visiting someone who is unwell, try setting aside the phone and listening without fixing the conversation. The example is an invitation to care, rather than a claim about what every family does.