Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 9 - Chapter 1 - Verse 3

Sanskrit:

निमिश्चलमिदं विद्वान् सत्रमारभतात्मवान् ।ऋत्विग्भिरपरैस्तावन्नागमद् यावता गुरु: ॥ ३ ॥

ITRANS:

nimiś calam idaṁ vidvānsatram ārabhatātmavānṛtvigbhir aparais tāvannāgamad yāvatā guruḥ

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.