Srimad Bhagavatam 6.10.32-33

[makarand]

TEXT 32

jātasya mṛtyur dhruva eva sarvataḥ

pratikriyā yasya na ceha kḷptā

loko yaśaś cātha tato yadi hy amuṁ

ko nāma mṛtyuṁ na vṛṇīta yuktam

SYNONYMS

jātasya—of one who has taken birth (all living beings); mṛtyuḥ—death; dhruvaḥ—inevitable; eva—indeed; sarvataḥ—everywhere in the universe; pratikriyā—counteraction; yasya—of which; na—not; ca—also; iha—in this material world; kḷptā—devised; lokaḥ—promotion to higher planets; yaśaḥ—reputation and glory; ca—and; atha—then; tataḥ—from that; yadi—if; hi—indeed; amum—that; kaḥ—who; nāma—indeed; mṛtyum—death; na—not; vṛṇīta—would accept; yuktam—suitable.

TRANSLATION

Vṛtrāsura said: All living entities who have taken birth in this material world must die. Surely, no one in this world has found any means to be saved from death. Even providence has not provided a means to escape it. Under the circumstances, death being inevitable, if one can gain promotion to the higher planetary systems and be always celebrated here by dying a suitable death, what man will not accept such a glorious death?

TEXT 33

dvau sammatāv iha mṛtyū durāpau

yad brahma-sandhāraṇayā jitāsuḥ

kalevaraṁ yoga-rato vijahyād

yad agraṇīr vīra-śaye ’nivṛttaḥ

SYNONYMS

dvau—two; sammatau—approved (by śāstra and great personalities); iha—in this world; mṛtyū—deaths; durāpau—extremely rare; yat—which; brahma-sandhāraṇayā—with concentration on Brahman, Paramātmā or Parabrahma, Kṛṣṇa; jita-asuḥ—controlling the mind and senses; kalevaram—the body; yoga-rataḥ—being engaged in the performance of yoga; vijahyāt—one may leave; yat—which; agraṇīḥ—taking the lead; vīra-śaye—on the battlefield; anivṛttaḥ—not turning back.

TRANSLATION

There are two ways to meet a glorious death, and both are very rare. One is to die after performing mystic yoga, especially bhakti-yoga, by which one can control the mind and living force and die absorbed in thought of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The second is to die on the battlefield, leading the army and never showing one’s back. These two kinds of death are recommended in the śāstra as glorious.

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Sixth Canto, Tenth Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled “The Battle Between the Demigods and Vṛtrāsura.”