Life is an Accident – Kalidasa’s Raghuvamsa

Isn’t this true? Billions and billions of stars, we still haven’t found any life apart from ours. Indeed life is an accident, it is a rare miracle and we are lucky to have it. Kalidasa, the most celebrated Sanskrit author, in his remarkable work ‘Raghuvamsa’ makes a point on life and the way we should see it. Here is the complete shlok,

मरणं प्रकृतिः शरीरिणां विकृतिर्जीवितमुच्यते बुधैः।
क्षणमप्यवतिष्ठते श्वसन्यदि जन्तुर्ननु लाभवानसौ॥

Transliteration: maraṇaṃ prakṛtiḥ śarīriṇāṃ vikṛtirjīvitamucyate budhaiḥ।
kṣaṇamapyavatiṣṭhate śvasanyadi janturnanu lābhavānasau॥
English Translation: Death is natural while life is accidental to mortals; if, therefore, a living being should remain breathing even for a moment on earth, still it is a gainer.
Hindi Translation: मृत्यु प्राकृतिक है और जीवन एक आकस्मिक घटना, इस दशा में जो जीवधारी क्षण भर भी सांस ले सकें, क्षण भर भी जीते रेह सकें, उन्हें इतने हीं को बहुत समझना चाहिए।