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Once when a saintly person was passing on his way, he met a prince, the son of a king, and he blessed him, saying, "Raja-putra ciram jiva: You are a king's son, a prince. May you live forever." Eventually the sage met a brahmacari devotee, and he blessed him, saying, "Muni-putra ma jiva: My dear devotee, you may die immediately." The sage next met a saintly person and said to him, "jiva va maro va: You may either live or die." Finally the sage met a hunter, and he blessed him, saying, "Ma jiva ma mara: Neither live nor die." MORAL: Those who are very sensual and are engaged in sense gratification do not wish to die. Generally a prince has enough money to enjoy his senses, therefore the great sage said that he should live forever, for as long as he lived he could enjoy life, but after death he would go to hell. Since the brahmacari devotee led a life of severe austerities and penances in order to be promoted backe to Godhead, the sage said that he should die immediately so he would not have to keep laboring hard but could instead go back to Godhead. Since the hunter leads a very ghastly life due to killing animals, and since he will go to hell when he dies, he is advised to neither live nor die. And a saintly person may either live or die, because during life hhe is serving the Lord, and after death he also serves the Lord. Thus this life and the next are the same for the saintly devotee, for in both he serves the Lord. Raja-putra ciram jiva muni-putra ma jiva / jiva ma maro va ma jiva ma mara.
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