द्वौ सम्मताविह मृत्यू दुरापौ यद्ब्रह्मसन्धारणया जितासुः कलेवरं योगरतो विजह्याद्यदग्रणीर्वीरशये ऽनिवृत्तः
dvau sammatāv iha mṛtyū durāpau yad brahma-sandhāraṇayā jitāsuḥ kalevaraṁ yoga-rato vijahyād yad agraṇīr vīra-śaye 'nivṛttaḥ
Synonyms
dvau—two; sammatau—approved (by śāstra and great personalities); iha—in this world; mṛtyū—deaths; durāpau—extremely rare; yat—which; brahma-sandhāraṇayā—with concentration on Brahman, Paramātmā or Parabrahma, Kṛṣṇa; jita-asuḥ—controlling the mind and senses; kalevaram—the body; yoga-rataḥ—being engaged in the performance of yoga; vijahyāt—one may leave; yat—which; agraṇīḥ—taking the lead; vīra-śaye—on the battlefield; anivṛttaḥ—not turning back..
Translation
There are two ways to meet a glorious death, and both are very rare. One is to die after performing mystic yoga, especially bhakti-yoga, by which one can control the mind and living force and die absorbed in thought of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The second is to die on the battlefield, leading the army and never showing one's back. These two kinds of death are recommended in the śāstra as glorious.