Shloka 7
निरय-परमस्थान-वर्णनम्
Niraya and the Supreme Station: A Metaphysical Re-reading
तत्र दुःखविमोक्षार्थ प्रयतेत विचक्षण: । सुखं हानित्यं भूतानामिहलोके परत्र च
tatra duḥkha-vimokṣārthaṃ prayateta vicakṣaṇaḥ | sukhaṃ hy anityaṃ bhūtānām iha-loke paratra ca ||
Therefore, a discerning person should strive for release from suffering. For the happiness that living beings obtain—whether in this world or in the next—is indeed impermanent.
भरद्वाज उवाच
Educational Q&A
Since all worldly and otherworldly pleasures are transient, the wise should prioritize sustained effort toward freedom from suffering (duḥkha-vimokṣa), i.e., liberation rather than temporary enjoyment.
In the didactic discourse of the Śānti Parva, Bharadvāja states a general philosophical principle: a prudent person should seek liberation from suffering because happiness in both this life and the next does not last.