Shloka 48
मृत्युर्बुद्धिमतापोह्यो यावद्बुद्धिबलोदयम् । यद्यसौ न निवर्तेत नापराधोऽस्ति देहिन: ॥ ४८ ॥
mṛtyur buddhimatāpohyo yāvad buddhi-balodayam yady asau na nivarteta nāparādho ’sti dehinaḥ
ബുദ്ധിയും ദേഹബലവും ഉള്ളിടത്തോളം ബുദ്ധിമാൻ മരണത്തെ ഒഴിവാക്കാൻ ശ്രമിക്കണം; ഇതാണ് ദേഹധാരികളുടെ ധർമ്മം. എന്നാൽ പരിശ്രമിച്ചിട്ടും മരണം ഒഴിവാകാതെ വന്നാൽ, മരണസന്നിധനായവന് കുറ്റമില്ല.
It is natural for a person facing untimely death to try his best to save himself. This is one’s duty. Although death is sure, everyone should try to avoid it and not meet death without opposition because every living soul is by nature eternal. Because death is a punishment imposed in the condemned life of material existence, the Vedic culture is based on avoiding death ( tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti ). Everyone should try to avoid death and rebirth by cultivating spiritual life and should not submit to death without struggling to survive. One who is not trying to stop death is not an intelligent human being. Because Devakī was face to face with imminent death, it was Vasudeva’s duty to save her, as he was trying his best to do. He therefore considered another way to approach Kaṁsa so that Devakī would be saved.
FAQs
This verse teaches that a wise person should try to avert death as long as clear intelligence and strength are still not fully awakened; one should make proper effort, but if death remains unavoidable, the soul is not blameworthy.
In the tense setting around Kṛṣṇa’s advent, the narrative highlights the balance between responsible effort (protecting life) and surrender to destiny when something cannot be prevented.
Do your duty—take sensible precautions, seek help, and act wisely—but if outcomes still cannot be controlled, avoid crippling guilt and accept what is beyond your power while staying devoted and steady.