Shloka 58
Chapter 2: Sudarśana Upākhyāna — Atithi-Dharma and the Conquest of Mṛtyu
Gṛhastha-Vrata
अथेध्यानमुपादाय स पावकिरुपागमत् । मृत्युना रौद्रभावेन नित्यं बन्धुरिवान्वित:
athedhyānam upādāya sa pāvakir upāgamat | mṛtyunā raudrabhāvena nityaṁ bandhur ivānvitaḥ ||
Luego, tomando en la mano la leña para el fuego, regresó el hijo de Agni. La Muerte, con ánimo feroz y terrible, lo seguía sin cesar—como un pariente devoto que camina muy cerca de aquel a quien ama.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the inevitability of death and the inescapable pursuit of consequence: even amid routine action (bringing kindling), mortality and the results of one’s destiny/karma can remain ever-present. The simile—Death like a loving kinsman—intensifies the ethical reflection that what follows us most faithfully may be what we least wish to face.
An Agni-born figure (pāvakī, ‘Agni-kumāra’) returns carrying kindling for the fire. Personified Death, in a fierce aspect, accompanies him continuously, described through a striking comparison: as though a close relative follows affectionately behind.