Shloka 18
त॑ पुत्रपशुसम्पन्नं व्यासक्तमनसं नरम् । सुप्तं व्याप्रो मृगमिव मृत्युरादाय गच्छति,जैसे सोये हुए मृगको बाघ उठा ले जाता है, उसी प्रकार पुत्र और पशुओंसे सम्पन्न एवं उन्हींमें मनको फँसाये रखनेवाले मनुष्यको एक दिन मृत्यु आकर उठा ले जाती है
taṁ putrapaśusampannaṁ vyāsaktamanasaṁ naram | suptaṁ vyāghro mṛgam iva mṛtyur ādāya gacchati ||
Death carries off that man—rich in sons and cattle, yet with his mind tightly attached to them—just as a tiger carries away a sleeping deer.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Death is inevitable and impartial: even a prosperous householder with sons and cattle is carried away if he remains mentally entangled and spiritually 'asleep.' The verse urges vigilance (apramāda) and inner detachment so that one does not rely on worldly supports as security.
In Bhishma’s instruction in the Shanti Parva, he uses a vivid simile: as a tiger snatches a sleeping deer, so Death suddenly seizes a man absorbed in family and possessions. The image underscores suddenness and helplessness when one lives in heedlessness.