Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, 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 ||
Bhishma said: In the ocean of worldly existence, all living beings ceaselessly revolve, afflicted by the pains of embodied life—confinement in the womb, birth, and old age—and they remain anxious, shaken by the fear of death.
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.