Shloka 30
पापात्म-धर्मात्म-लक्षणम् तथा निर्वेदेन मोक्षमार्गः | Marks of the Sinful and the Righteous; Dispassion (Nirveda) as a Path to Liberation
तदा स वृद्धो भवति तदा भवति दुःखित: । तदा शून्यं जगत् तस्य यदा मात्रा वियुज्यते
tadā sa vṛddho bhavati tadā bhavati duḥkhitaḥ | tadā śūnyaṃ jagat tasya yadā mātrā viyujyate ||
Bhīṣma said: “Only then does a man truly become old; only then does he become sorrowful. For then the whole world turns empty for him—when he is separated from his mother.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the irreplaceable role of the mother: real ‘old age’ and deep sorrow are felt most sharply when one loses the mother, and life itself seems emptied. It underscores gratitude, reverence, and the ethical weight of familial bonds.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs on dharma and the human condition. Here he reflects on the emotional and moral significance of the mother, describing the profound bereavement that follows separation from her.