Text 10] The Dynasty of Maharaja Nimi 159

deham ndvarurutse “ham
duhkha-soka-bhaydvaham

sarvatrasya yato mrtyur
matsyanam udake yatha

deham—a material body; na—not; avarurutse—desire to accept;
aham—1; duhkha-soka-bhaya-dvaham—which is the cause of all kinds
of distress, lamentation and fear; sarvatra—always and everywhere
within this universe; asya—of the living entities who have accepted ma-
terial bodies; yatah—because; mrtyuh—death; matsyandm—of the
fish; udake—living within the water; yathd—like.

TRANSLATION

I do not wish to accept a material body, for such a body is the
source of all distress, lamentation and fear, everywhere in the uni-
verse, just as it is for a fish in the water, which lives always in
anxiety because of fear of death.

PURPORT

The material body, whether in the higher or lower planetary system, is
destined to die. In the lower planetary system or lower species of life one
may die soon, and in the higher planets or higher species one may live
for a long, long time, but death is inevitable. This fact should be under-
stood. In the human form of life one should take the opportunity to put
an end to birth, death, old age and disease by performing tapasya. This is
the aim of human civilization: to stop the repetition of birth and death,
which is called mrtyu-sarnsdra-vartmani. This can be done only when
one is Krsna conscious, or has achieved the service of the lotus feet of the
Lord. Otherwise one must rot in this material world and accept a material
body subject to birth, death, old age and disease.

The example given here is that water is a very nice place for a fish, but
the fish is never free from anxiety about death, since big fish are always
eager to eat the small fish. Phalgiini tatra mahatam: all living entities
are eaten by bigger living entities. This is the way of material nature.
