मुहूर्तमरणास्त्वन्ये मानुषा मृगपक्षिण: । तैर्यग्योन्याक्ष॒ ये चान्ये जीवलोकचरास्तथा
muhūrtamaraṇās tv anye mānuṣā mṛgapakṣiṇaḥ | tairyyagyonīyākṣā ye cānye jīvalokacarās tathā ||
Dijo Kaṇva: «Hay seres que mueren en un solo instante: hombres, bestias y aves. Del mismo modo, los nacidos en vientres inferiores (de naturaleza animal) y otras criaturas que se mueven por el mundo de los vivientes también encuentran una muerte tan rápida».
कण्व उवाच
The verse stresses the fragility of embodied life: across species—human, animal, bird—death can arrive suddenly. Ethically, it supports sobriety, non-attachment, and urgency in practicing dharma rather than complacency.
Kaṇva is reflecting on the condition of living beings, emphasizing that many creatures are moment-lived and subject to swift death, as part of a broader admonition meant to shape right judgment and conduct.