80 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 1

demigods had played drums and kettledrums. He therefore attempted
another way to save Devaki.

TEXT 48
aeaSferaie  arcatewsteay |
aaa a Prada arerdishe Zia: yc

mrtyur buddhimatadpohyo
yavad buddhi-balodayam

yady asau na nivarteta
naparadho ’sti dehinah

mrtyuh—death; buddhi-mata—by an intelligent person; apohyah—
should be avoided; ydévat—as long as; buddhi-bala-udayam—intelli-
gence and bodily strength are present; yadi—if; asau—that (death); na
nivarteta—cannot be checked; na—not; aparddhah—offense; asti—
there is; dehinah—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.

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 (tyaktvé deham 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 Devaki was face to
face with imminent death, it was Vasudeva’s duty to save her, as he was
