Shloka 78
देवतापितृप्रश्नः — Nārada at Badarīāśrama: the ultimate referent of daiva and pitṛ worship
न देहभेदे मरणं विजानतां न च प्रणाश: स्वनुपालिते पथि । धर्म हि यो वर्धयते स पण्डितो य एव धर्माच्च्यवते स मुह्ृति
na dehabhede maraṇaṁ vijānatāṁ na ca praṇāśaḥ svanupālite pathi | dharma hi yo vardhayate sa paṇḍito ya eva dharmāccyavate sa muhṛti
Vyāsa sprach: „Für die wahrhaft Erkennenden liegt der Tod nicht im bloßen Zerfall des Leibes; und es gibt keine wirkliche Vernichtung für den, der dem wohlbehüteten Pfad treu gefolgt ist. Weise ist, wer Dharma mehrt; wer aber vom Dharma abfällt, wird verwirrt—und sei es nur für einen Augenblick.“
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
True wisdom sees that the body’s dissolution is not the self’s annihilation; therefore one should focus on sustaining and increasing dharma. The mark of a paṇḍita is to strengthen dharma, while deviation from dharma—even briefly—brings moral confusion and downfall.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction-oriented setting, Vyāsa delivers a reflective teaching to guide conduct after the devastation of war: he reframes death as bodily change and emphasizes steadfast adherence to the righteous path, defining wisdom by commitment to dharma.