Shloka 27
Nārada’s Past Life, the Lord’s Brief Vision, and the Power of Kīrtana
एवं कृष्णमतेर्ब्रह्मन्नासक्तस्यामलात्मन: । काल: प्रादुरभूत्काले तडित्सौदामनी यथा ॥ २७ ॥
evaṁ kṛṣṇa-mater brahman nāsaktasyāmalātmanaḥ kālaḥ prādurabhūt kāle taḍit saudāmanī yathā
O Brahmane Vyāsadeva, so war ich ganz im Gedenken an Kṛṣṇa versunken, ohne Anhaftung und von aller Befleckung gereinigt; zur rechten Zeit begegnete mir der Tod, wie Blitz und sein Leuchten zugleich erscheinen.
To be fully absorbed in the thought of Kṛṣṇa means clearance of material dirts or hankerings. As a very rich man has no hankerings for small petty things, so also a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is guaranteed to pass on to the kingdom of God, where life is eternal, fully cognizant and blissful, naturally has no hankerings for petty material things, which are like dolls or shadows of the reality and are without permanent value. That is the sign of spiritually enriched persons. And in due course of time, when a pure devotee is completely prepared, all of a sudden the change of body occurs which is commonly called death. And for the pure devotee such a change takes place exactly like lightning, and illumination follows simultaneously. That is to say a devotee simultaneously changes his material body and develops a spiritual body by the will of the Supreme. Even before death, a pure devotee has no material affection, due to his body’s being spiritualized like a red-hot iron in contact with fire.
FAQs
This verse says that for a pure devotee absorbed in Kṛṣṇa and free from attachment, death comes at its destined time and is faced without disturbance—like a sudden flash of lightning.
Nārada is teaching Vyāsa that unwavering Kṛṣṇa-consciousness and detachment purify the heart; even death becomes a timely, natural event for such a devotee.
Build daily habits of remembrance (japa, kīrtana, reading) and reduce dependence on temporary pleasures; then life’s uncertainties—including death—are met with steadiness and faith.