Shloka 63
Kāraṇa-vyākhyā: Cosmic Agents, Rudra-Forms, Sense-Purity, and Ānanda-Tāratamya
एषामायुर्व्यर्थमेवं गतं च एषां दृष्ट्वा यौवनं तु ध्रुवं च / स्कन्धस्थमृत्युर्हसते कृष्ण विष्णो तं वै न जानन्ति विमूढचेतसः
eṣāmāyurvyarthamevaṃ gataṃ ca eṣāṃ dṛṣṭvā yauvanaṃ tu dhruvaṃ ca / skandhasthamṛtyurhasate kṛṣṇa viṣṇo taṃ vai na jānanti vimūḍhacetasaḥ
Prenant leur jeunesse pour une chose certaine et durable, leur vie s’écoule ainsi, en pure vanité. La Mort, perchée sur leurs épaules, se rit d’eux—ô Kṛṣṇa, ô Viṣṇu—et pourtant les esprits égarés ne la reconnaissent pas.
Garuda (Vinata-putra), addressing Lord Vishnu
Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey
Concept: Youth and certainty are illusions; death is imminent; ignorance prevents recognition—therefore awaken to Hari and pursue liberation-oriented living.
Vedantic Theme: Anityatā and mṛtyu-smaraṇa as viveka; pramāda (heedlessness) as bondage; turning to Viṣṇu as refuge.
Application: Daily contemplation of mortality; prioritize sādhanā, reconciliation, and dharmic duties now rather than ‘later’.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Related Themes: Garuda Purana: repeated mṛtyu-smaraṇa and urgency to perform dharma/dāna/bhakti before death; Garuda Purana Preta-kalpa: death as the gateway to Yama’s path
FAQs
This verse stresses that life becomes “wasted” when one assumes youth is permanent; remembering death prompts dharma, restraint, and timely spiritual practice.
It portrays death as already “on the shoulder,” meaning mortality is ever-present, yet people with deluded minds fail to recognize its nearness and live carelessly.
Treat youth and health as uncertain; prioritize dharmic living, daily remembrance of impermanence, and meaningful duties (family, charity, discipline, devotion) without procrastination.