प्रतिक्रिया यस्य न चेह कॢप्ता ।
लोको यशश्चाथ ततो यदि ह्यमुं
को नाम मृत्युं न वृणीत युक्तम् ॥३२॥
jÄtasya má¹›tyur dhruva eva sarvataḥ
pratikriyÄ yasya na ceha kḷptÄ
loko yaÅ›aÅ› cÄtha tato yadi hy amuá¹
ko nÄma má¹›tyuá¹ na vṛṇīta yuktam
jÄtasya - of one who has taken birth (all living beings); má¹›tyuḥ - death; dhruvaḥ - inevitable; eva - indeed; sarvataḥ - everywhere in the universe; pratikriyÄ - counteraction; yasya - of which; na - not; ca - also; iha - in this material world; kḷptÄ - devised; lokaḥ - promotion to higher planets; yaÅ›aḥ - reputation and glory; ca - and; atha - then; tataḥ - from that; yadi - if; hi - indeed; amum - that; kaḥ - who; nÄma - indeed; má¹›tyum - death; na - not; vṛṇīta - would accept; yuktam - suitable.
Vá¹›trÄsura said: All living entities who have taken birth in this material world must die. Surely, no one in this world has found any means to be saved from death. Even providence has not provided a means to escape it. Under the circumstances, death being inevitable, if one can gain promotion to the higher planetary systems and be always celebrated here by dying a suitable death, what man will not accept such a glorious death?
If by dying one can be elevated to the higher planetary systems and be ever-famous after his death, who is so foolish that he will refuse such a glorious death? Similar advice was also given by Kṛṣṇa to Arjuna. “My dear Arjuna,†the Lord said, “do not desist from fighting. If you gain victory in the fight, you will enjoy a kingdom, and even if you die you will be elevated to the heavenly planets.†Everyone should be ready to die while performing glorious deeds. A glorious person is not meant to meet death like cats and dogs.
