Shloka 6
Adhyāya 96: Nārada Guides Mātali in Varuṇa’s Realm
Varuṇa-loka Darśana
मुहूर्तमरणास्त्वन्ये मानुषा मृगपक्षिण: । तैर्यग्योन्याक्ष॒ ये चान्ये जीवलोकचरास्तथा
muhūrtamaraṇās tv anye mānuṣā mṛgapakṣiṇaḥ | tairyyagyonīyākṣā ye cānye jīvalokacarās tathā ||
कण्व म्हणाले—काही तर एका मुहूर्तातच मरतात—मनुष्य, पशु आणि पक्षी. तसेच तिर्यक्-योनीत जन्मलेले व जीव-लोकात वावरणारे इतरही शीघ्र मृत्यूला प्राप्त होतात।
कण्व उवाच
Educational Q&A
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.