न धर्मस्य न लोकस्य मृत्योश्छन्दानुवर्तिनः ॥४॥
apy abhadraá¹ na viprÄṇÄá¹
bhadre loke 'dhunÄgatam
na dharmasya na lokasya
má¹›tyoÅ› chandÄnuvartinaḥ
api - whether; abhadram - ill fortune; na - not; viprÄṇÄm - of the brÄhmaṇas; bhadre - O most gentle Aditi; loke - in this world; adhunÄ - at the present moment; Ägatam - has come; na - not; dharmasya - of religious principles; na - not; lokasya - of the people in general; má¹›tyoḥ - death; chanda-anuvartinaḥ - who are followers of the whims of death.
O most gentle one, I wonder whether anything inauspicious has now taken place in regard to religious principles, the brÄhmaṇas or the people in general, who are subject to the whims of death.
There are prescribed duties for all the inhabitants of this material world, especially for the brÄhmaṇas but also for the people in general, who are subject to the whims of death. KaÅ›yapa Muni wondered whether the regulative principles, which are meant for the well-being of everyone, had been disobeyed. He accordingly continued his inquiries for seven verses.
