Shloka 18
अहिंसा-प्रधान धर्मविचारः
Ahiṃsā as the Superior Dharma: Practical and Scriptural Reasoning
इस प्रकार वहाँ अत्यन्त दुष्कर तपस्या करती हुई मृत्युसे महातेजस्वी ब्रह्माजीने पुनः जाकर इस प्रकार कहा-- ।। कुरुष्व मे वचो मृत्यो तदनादृत्य सत्वरा । तथैवैकपदे तात पुनरन्यानि सप्त सा
iti prakāraṁ tatra atyanta-duṣkaraṁ tapasyaṁ kurvatīṁ mṛtyuṁ mahā-tejasvī brahmā punar gatvā evaṁ uvāca— kurūṣva me vaco mṛtyo, tad anādṛtya satvarā; tathaiva eka-pade tāta, punar anyāni sapta sā.
Habang nananatili roon si Kamatayan at nagsasagawa ng napakahirap na pag-aayuno at pagtitika, muling nagbalik ang maningning na si Brahmā at nagsalita: “O Kamatayan, tuparin mo ang aking utos. Huwag mo itong hamakin at kumilos nang padalus-dalos. Manatili ka gaya ng dati sa iyong iisang kinalalagyan, mahal kong anak; at siya naman ay muling tumanggap ng iba pang pitong kalagayan/gampanin.”
पितामह उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even the force of Death must operate under dharma and the creator’s ordinance; power should not act from haste or disregard of rightful command. Tapas and authority are framed as instruments to align action with cosmic order rather than personal impulse.
Death is depicted as undertaking extremely difficult austerities. Brahmā returns and reiterates his directive: Death should fulfill his command, not act hastily or dismiss it, and remain in an assigned station while proceeding through a structured set of roles (alluded to as ‘the other seven’).