ŚB 9.13.3
Devanagari
निमिश्चलमिदं विद्वान् सत्रमारभतात्मवान् ।
ऋत्विग्भिरपरैस्तावन्नागमद् यावता गुरु: ॥ ३ ॥
ऋत्विग्भिरपरैस्तावन्नागमद् यावता गुरु: ॥ ३ ॥
Verse text
nimiś calam idaṁ vidvān
satram ārabhatātmavān
ṛtvigbhir aparais tāvan
nāgamad yāvatā guruḥ
satram ārabhatātmavān
ṛtvigbhir aparais tāvan
nāgamad yāvatā guruḥ
Synonyms
nimiḥ — Mahārāja Nimi; calam — flickering, subject to end at any moment; idam — this (life); vidvān — being completely aware of this fact; satram — the sacrifice; ārabhata — inaugurated; ātmavān — self-realized person; ṛtvigbhiḥ — by priests; aparaiḥ — other than Vasiṣṭha; tāvat — for the time being; na — not; āgamat — returned; yāvatā — so long; guruḥ — his spiritual master (Vasiṣṭha).
Translation
Mahārāja Nimi, being a self-realized soul, considered that this life is flickering. Therefore, instead of waiting long for Vasiṣṭha, he began performing the sacrifice with other priests.
Purport
Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says, śarīraṁ kṣaṇa-vidhvāṁsi kalpānta-sthāyino guṇāḥ: “The duration of one’s life in the material world may end at any moment, but if within this life one does something worthy, that qualification is depicted in history eternally.” Here is a great personality, Mahārāja Nimi, who knew this fact. In the human form of life one should perform activities in such a way that at the end he goes back home, back to Godhead. This is self-realization.