Shloka 41
अहिंसा-प्रधान धर्मविचारः
Ahiṃsā as the Superior Dharma: Practical and Scriptural Reasoning
सर्वे देवा मर्त्यसंज्ञाविशिष्टा: सर्वे मर्त्या देवसंज्ञाविशिष्टा: । तस्मात् पुत्र मा शुचो राजसिंह पुत्र: स्वर्ग प्राप्प ते मोदते ह
sarve devā martyasaṁjñā-viśiṣṭāḥ sarve martyā devasaṁjñā-viśiṣṭāḥ | tasmāt putra mā śuco rājasimha putraḥ svargaṁ prāptaḥ te modate ha ||
Bhīṣma said: “All the gods bear the designation ‘mortal’ in some respect, and all mortals bear the designation ‘divine’ in some respect. Therefore, my son—do not grieve, O lion among kings. Your son has attained heaven; he rejoices there indeed.”
पितामह उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma reframes death and status: the boundary between ‘divine’ and ‘mortal’ is not absolute, so one should not be overwhelmed by grief. He urges acceptance grounded in dharma and the belief that a righteous person who dies attains heavenly joy.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs and consoles a grieving king. Here he tells the king not to mourn, affirming that the king’s son has reached svarga and is rejoicing there.