मृत्योर्ब्रह्मणा नियोजनम् — The Commissioning of Mṛtyu by Brahmā
कामबन्धनमेवैकं॑ नान्यदस्तीह बन्धनम् । कामबन्धनमुक्तो हि ब्रह्मुभूयाय कल्पते
kāmabandhanam evaikaṁ nānyad astīha bandhanam | kāmabandhanamukto hi brahmabhūyāya kalpate ||
Vyāsa declares that in this world the only real bondage is desire itself; there is no other binding chain. One who is freed from the fetters of desire becomes fit to attain the state of Brahman, abiding in spiritual freedom and highest peace.
व्यास उवाच
Desire (kāma) is presented as the fundamental cause of bondage; when desire is relinquished, one becomes qualified for brahmabhāva—abidance in Brahman—signifying liberation and inner freedom.
In the instruction-oriented setting of the Śānti Parva, Vyāsa states a concise doctrinal point: worldly entanglement is rooted in desire, and release from desire is the gateway to the highest spiritual state.