Parīkṣit Mahārāja, although he was on the threshold of death, he was allowed seven days' time. He was cursed to death, but he was given seven days' time: "You, King, you shall die within seven days—after seven days—being bitten by serpent." This was the curse given to him. He accepted. He could counteract it. Parīkṣit Mahārāja was Vaiṣṇava. He was very powerful. But he thought that, "Yes, I am offender. The brahmin boy has cursed me, I shall accept it."
So he prepared himself for death. For seven days he placed himself on the bank of the Ganges without drinking a drop of water, and for seven days continually he heard Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from Parīkṣit Mahārāja . . . er, from Śukadeva Gosvāmī. That was decided. Harer nāmānukīrtanaḥ. In any circumstances of life, hearing and chanting is prescribed. So Parīkṣit . . . Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: "My dear King, I have explained to you what is to be done now, at the time of death."
So we should take example, or instruction, from the behavior of Parīkṣit Mahārāja that on the threshold of death . . . everyone is on the threshold of death, but the foolish person, they do not know. Foolish person thinks that, "I shall live forever." That is foolishness.
- ahany ahani lokāni
- gacchantīha yamālayam
- śeṣāḥ sthāvaram icchanti
- kim āścaryam ataḥ param
- (Mahābhārata, Vana-parva 313.116)
Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja was asked by Dharmarāja, "What is the most wonderful thing within this world?" He answered this, ahany ahani lokāni gacchantīha yamālayam: "Everyone, every moment, is going to the Yamarāja's place, the superintendent of death, where a man's life is scrutinizingly studied, what he has done, and . . ." I say man, not animal. Animal, they have no such thing, "wrong" or "right," because it is animal. But a human being must have this conscience, "right" or "wrong." Pravṛtti, nivṛtti.
In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ na vidur āsura-janā (BG 16.7). Asura-janā, those who are demons, they do not know these two things, pravṛtti and nivṛtti, what is our duty and what is our not duty. Pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca . . . that is modern civilization. They do not know. What is our duty to do and what is our duty not to do, they do not know. Neither any education in this life what we should do, what we should not do.