Shloka 18
ततः: समुद्धृतप्राणं गतश्वासं हतप्रभम् । निर्विचेष्ट शरीरं तद् बभूवाप्रियदर्शनम्,फिर तो प्राण निकल जानेसे उसकी साँस बंद हो गयी--अंगकान्ति फीकी पड़ गयी और शरीर निश्रेष्ट होकर अपरूप दिखायी देने लगा
tataḥ samuddhṛtaprāṇaṃ gataśvāsaṃ hataprabham | nirviceṣṭaśarīraṃ tad babhūvāpriyadarśanam ||
Then, as life was drawn out of him, his breathing ceased; his radiance was extinguished. That body, now motionless and bereft of vitality, became a grievous sight—an image of how swiftly embodied splendor collapses when the life-force departs.
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores impermanence: bodily beauty and power depend on prāṇa, and when life departs, the body quickly becomes inert and distressing to behold—encouraging sobriety, detachment, and ethical living while life remains.
Mārkaṇḍeya describes a person’s death: the life-breath is gone, respiration stops, radiance fades, and the body lies motionless, becoming an unpleasant sight.