Shloka 42
Haṃsa–Sādhya Saṃvāda: Satya, Dama, Kṣamā and the Discipline of Speech
प्रभावैरन्वितास्तैस्तै: पार्थिवेन्द्रा: सहस्रश: । ये गता: पृथिवीं त्यक्त्वा इति ज्ञात्वा विमुच्यते,“सहस्रों प्रभावशाली नरेश इस पृथ्वीको छोड़कर कालके गालमें चले गये। इस बातको जानकर मनुष्य मुक्त हो जाता है”
prabhāvair anvitās tais taiḥ pārthivendrāḥ sahasraśaḥ | ye gatāḥ pṛthivīṃ tyaktvā iti jñātvā vimucyate ||
Bhishma said: “Thousands upon thousands of mighty kings, endowed with various kinds of splendor and power, have departed—abandoning this earth and passing into the jaws of Time. Knowing this truth, a person becomes freed (from attachment and grief).”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even the most powerful rulers inevitably perish under the force of Time; reflecting on this impermanence loosens attachment and grief, leading toward inner freedom (vimukti).
In Bhishma’s instruction in the Shanti Parva, he reminds the listener that countless illustrious kings have already left the world; this contemplation is offered as a practical counsel for cultivating detachment and peace of mind.