Adhyāya 96: Nārada Guides Mātali in Varuṇa’s Realm
Varuṇa-loka Darśana
इनके सिवा ये दूसरे जो मनुष्य, पशु, पक्षी तथा जीवलोकमें विचरनेवाले अन्यान्य तिर्यग्योनिके प्राणी हैं, वे अल्पकालमें ही कालके गालमें चले जाते हैं ।।
imeṣāṃ śeṣā ye ’nye manuṣyāḥ paśavaḥ pakṣiṇaś ca jīvaloke vicaranā anye ’nye tiryagyonayaḥ prāṇinaḥ, te ’lpakālenaiva kālasya gāle praviśanti. bhūyiṣṭhena tu rājānaḥ śriyaṃ bhuktvā āyuṣaḥ kṣaye mṛtyum upetya sukṛtaduṣkṛtayoḥ phalaṃ bhoktuṃ punaḥ taruṇāḥ pratipadyante.
Abgesehen von diesen werden die übrigen Wesen, die in der Welt umhergehen—Menschen, Tiere, Vögel und die vielen Geschöpfe aus nichtmenschlichen Geburten—rasch vom Zeitlauf verschlungen. Die Könige jedoch nehmen zumeist, nachdem sie königlichen Glanz genossen haben, wenn ihre Lebensspanne erschöpft ist und sie dem Tod begegnen, erneut eine frische, jugendliche Geburt an, um die Früchte ihrer guten und bösen Taten zu erfahren.
कण्व उवाच
All embodied beings are quickly overtaken by Time, and even powerful kings—after enjoying prosperity—must face death and then reap the consequences of their actions through further births. Royal status does not exempt one from karma and impermanence.
Kaṇva is reflecting on mortality and the karmic cycle: ordinary creatures perish swiftly, while kings typically pass from worldly splendor to death and then return to embodied life to experience the fruits of merit and demerit.