त इह व्यघ्रो वा सिंहो वा वृको वा वराहो वा कीटो वा पतङ्गो वा दंशो वा मशको वा यद्यद्भवन्ति तदाभवन्ति ॥ ६.९.३ ॥
ta iha vyaghro vā siṃho vā vṛko vā varāho vā kīṭo vā pataṅgo vā daṃśo vā maśako vā yadyadbhavanti tadābhavanti || 6.9.3 ||
3. Whatever they were before in this world—whether a tiger or lion or leopard or boar or bug or insect or flea or mosquito—they are born again. [They never know that they came from Sat].
Word-for-word explanation:
Te, these; iha, here [in this world]; vyāghraḥ vā, a tiger; siṃhaḥ vā, or a lion; vṛkaḥ vā, or a leopard; varāhaḥ vā, or a boar; kīṭaḥ vā, or a bug; pataṅgaḥ vā, or an insect; daṃśaḥ vā, or a flea; maśakaḥ vā, or a mosquito; yat yat, whatever; bhavanti, they are [before]; tat, that; ābhavanti, they are after [because they do not yet know the Self].
Commentary:
We are born again and again till we overcome our ignorance and attain Self-knowledge. Death, for an ignorant person, is not liberation. It is like going into deep sleep. And when you are reborn it is as if you are waking up. You die again and again, and again and again you are reborn. This goes on until you attain Self-knowledge. Once you know the Self, you are free—free from birth and death.