Shloka 13
मोक्षधर्मः — स्नेहपाशच्छेदः
Mokṣa-dharma: Cutting the Bonds of Attachment
शून्यागारं वृक्षमूलमरण्यम थवा गुहाम् । अज्ञातचर्या गत्वान्यां ततो<न्यत्रैव संविशेत्
śūnyāgāraṁ vṛkṣamūlam araṇyaṁ athavā guhām | ajñātacaryāṁ gatvānyāṁ tato 'nyatraiva saṁviśet ||
Bhīṣma said: “Let him resort to an empty dwelling, the root of a tree, a forest, or a mountain cave. Having adopted an unknown, unobtrusive mode of living, he should move on to another place and then settle elsewhere—remaining hidden and intent on inner contemplation.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
To cultivate detachment and inner discipline by living simply and inconspicuously—choosing secluded shelters and avoiding recognition—so the mind can remain focused on self-reflection and spiritual practice.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs on dharma and the path of restraint/renunciation. Here he advises a seeker to stay in secluded places (empty house, tree-root, forest, cave) and to live incognito, shifting residence to remain unobtrusive and devoted to contemplation.