etat - this; vidvān - knowing; purā - before; mṛtyoḥ - death; abhavāya - to transcend material existence; ghaṭeta - should act; saḥ - he; apramattaḥ - without laziness or foolishness; idam - this; jñātvā - knowing; martyam - subject to death; api - even though; artha - of the goal of life; siddhi-dam - giving the perfection.

A wise person, knowing that although the material body is subject to death it can still award the perfection of one’s life, should not foolishly neglect to take advantage of this opportunity before death arrives.