Shloka 55
Dama-pradhāna-dharma (Self-restraint as the Root of Dharma) — Śānti-parva 154
मृता गर्भेषु जायन्ते जातमात्रा म्रियन्ति च । चड्क्रमन्तो प्रियन्ते च यौवनस्थास्तथा परे
mṛtā garbheṣu jāyante jātamātrā mriyanti ca | caṅkramanto mriyante ca yauvanasthās tathā pare ||
Jambuka said: “Some die while still in the womb and are born already dead; some die the moment they are born. Some die after they have grown able to move about, and others pass away even while standing in the fullness of youth.”
जम्बुक उवाच
Educational Q&A
Life is uncertain at every stage—from the womb to youth—so one should cultivate dharma, restraint, and inner detachment rather than relying on youth, strength, or time as guarantees.
Jambuka is reflecting on the many ways death can arrive—before birth, at birth, in childhood, or in youth—using these examples to underscore the fragility of embodied life and to support a moral-spiritual admonition toward seriousness in dharma.