Shloka 23
Yamavākya
The Words of Yama
न जले पावके वापि मृतः प्राप्नोति तां गतिम् । योगेन संप्रणष्टो वा भृगुपातेन वा विधे ॥ २३ ॥
na jale pāvake vāpi mṛtaḥ prāpnoti tāṃ gatim | yogena saṃpraṇaṣṭo vā bhṛgupātena vā vidhe || 23 ||
O Brahmā, one who dies in water or in fire does not attain that supreme state; nor does one who perishes through forced yogic withdrawal, nor one who dies by leaping from a precipice.
Narada (addressing Brahma/Vidhe in a didactic tirtha-mahatmya setting)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
FAQs
It rejects self-willed or extreme deaths (fire, water, cliff-jump, or forced yogic exit) as valid means to reach the highest spiritual destination, emphasizing that liberation is not gained through self-destruction but through dharmic and spiritually sanctioned practice.
By denying liberation through violent shortcuts, it implicitly supports the Narada Purana’s broader stance that the highest gati is approached through sustained sādhana—especially Vishnu-bhakti, righteous living, and proper observances—rather than through self-harm or sensational acts.
It aligns with Dharma-śāstra reasoning (supported by Vedāṅga-based tradition) that intention and proper injunction (vidhi) matter: actions outside dharmic allowance—such as suicide-like acts—do not yield the promised spiritual fruits.