Devanagari
मृत्युर्बुद्धिमतापोह्यो यावद्बुद्धिबलोदयम्
यद्यसौ न निवर्तेत नापराधोऽस्ति देहिन: ॥ ४८ ॥
Verse text
mṛtyur buddhimatāpohyo
yāvad buddhi-balodayam
yady asau na nivarteta
nāparādho ’sti dehinaḥ
Synonyms
mṛtyuḥ
—
death
;
buddhi
—
matā — by an intelligent person
;
apohyaḥ
—
should be avoided
;
yāvat
—
as long as
;
buddhi
—
bala — udayam — intelligence and bodily strength are present
;
yadi
—
if
;
asau
—
that (death)
;
na nivarteta
—
cannot be checked
;
na
—
not
;
aparādhaḥ
—
offense
;
asti
—
there is
;
dehinaḥ
—
of the person in danger of death .
Translation
As long as he has intelligence and bodily strength, an intelligent person must try to avoid death. This is the duty of every embodied person. But if death cannot be avoided in spite of one’s endeavors, a person facing death commits no offense.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
As long as he has intelligence and bodily strength, an intelligent person must try to avoid death. This is the duty of every embodied person. But if death cannot be avoided in spite of one's endeavors, a person facing death commits no offense.
KB 10.1.48
When there is imminent danger, an intelligent person should try to avoid the dangerous position as far as possible. But if, in spite of endeavoring by all intelligence, one fails to avoid the dangerous position, there is no fault on his part. One should try his best to execute his duties, but if the attempt fails, he is not at fault.
Purport
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.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
As long as a person has power and intelligence (yavad buddhi balodayam), he will try to avoid death. I cannot use strength to avoid Devaki’s death at Kamsa’s hands, but I can use my intelligence. Asau refers to death.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
This verse shows how he thought, with the understanding that Kaṁsa was evil. Death should be avoided as long as one has excellence of bodily strength and intelligence. Previously his intelligence was normal but now it acted in a special manner. There is no fault of using deceit for a person dependant on his body, where no alternatives are possible.