The life and death of an embodied soul and his destination in the next life are all caused by himself through his own activity. Therefore, O King, no other agent is responsible for creating one's happiness and distress. Hear the philosophy behind what you are doing out of grief for your father. The actions of the living entity cause his destination such as Svarga on dying. This is the normal arrangement for low living entities (jantoḥ). But your father’s living, dying and attaining the Supreme Lord’s abode were by the Lord’s arrangement. The Lord protected him by his own hand from the weapon of Aśvatthāmā and also arranged for him to die by the curse of the sage. He arranged from him to attain his spiritual abode through the teachings his beloved Śukadeva. All these events were arranged by the Lord. Takṣaka is a cause of this death in name only.