शरीरं यदवाप्नोति यच्चाप्युत्क्रामतीश्वरः | गृहीत्वैतानि संयाति वायुर्गन्धानिवाशयात् || ८ ||
śarīraṁ yad avāpnoti yac cāpy utkrāmatīśvaraḥ gṛhītvaitāni saṁyāti vāyur gandhān ivāśayāt
śarīram—body; yat—whatever; avāpnoti—takes on; yat—whatever; ca—also; api—even; utkrāmati—gives up; īśvaraḥ—the lord of the body; gṛhītvā—taking; etāni—all these; saṁyāti—goes away; vāyuḥ—air; gandhān—fragrances; iva—like; āśayāt—from their source.
“When the lord of the body (the individual soul) acquires a body and also when it departs, it takes these (senses and mind) with it and goes, just as the wind carries fragrances from their source.”
The individual soul is the real master (ishvara) of the body, yet it is under the illusion of being bound by it. At death, just as wind carries fragrance effortlessly from flowers to distant places, the soul carries the subtle impressions (samskaras) of the senses and mind to its next embodiment. The fragrance does not choose the wind—the wind simply carries it. Likewise, the soul carries forward whatever it has gathered.
The habits, tendencies, and impressions you cultivate now are the 'fragrances' you will carry forward—in this life and, in the traditional view, into future lives. This makes present choices enormously significant. Every quality you consciously cultivate becomes part of your spiritual 'fragrance.' Choose which impressions you strengthen.