Shloka 18
Kīṭopākhyāna: Prajā-pālana as Kṣatra-vrata and the Attainment of Brāhmaṇya
जातिजन्मजरादु:खैरनित्यं संसारसागरे | जन्तव: परिवर्तन्ते मरणादुद्धिजन्ति च
jāti-janma-jarā-duḥkhair anityaṃ saṃsāra-sāgare | jantavaḥ parivartante maraṇād udvijanti ca ||
قال بهيشما: في بحر السَّمْسارا، بحر الوجود الدنيوي، تدور جميع الكائنات الحيّة بلا انقطاع، مثقلةً بآلام الحياة المتجسّدة—اللبث في الرحم، والولادة، والشيخوخة—وتظلّ قلقةً مضطربةً تهتزّ من خوف الموت.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The core teaching is that embodied life in saṃsāra is inherently marked by recurring suffering—womb-life, birth, aging—and by persistent anxiety about death; therefore one should cultivate detachment, right understanding, and a dharmic pursuit of liberation rather than clinging to transient worldly states.
Bhishma, instructing on dharma in the Anushasana Parva, reflects on the universal condition of beings trapped in saṃsāra. He describes their continual wandering and agitation, setting a contemplative frame for ethical and spiritual counsel aimed at overcoming fear and suffering.