Shadvikar — Six Stages of Decay
Shadvikar (Devanagari: षड्विकार ISO15919: ṣaḍvikāra ) is made by blending two Sanskrit words.
- shad - six
- vikar - changes or deformations
Every material body in the entire creation goes through the following six states. These are
- Exists or asti (Devanagari: अस्ति ISO15919: asti ) - body starts to form.
- Born or jayate (Devanagari: जायते ISO15919: jāyate ) it takes birth,
- Grows or vardhate (Devanagari: वर्धते ISO15919: vardhate ) it grows,
- Matures or viparinmate (Devanagari: विपरिणमते ISO15919: vipariṇamate) It reaches maturity.
- Deteriorates or apaksheeyate (Devanagari: अपक्षीयते ISO15919: apakṣīyate) It begins to wear out or age e.g body becomes weaker, skin sags, eye sight and hearing decline.
- Ceases to exist or vinashyati (Devanagari: विनश्यति ISO15919: vinaśyati ) one day the body dies and eventually returns back to five gross elements .