Shloka 22
अध्याय ३३१: नारायणकथा-प्रशंसा तथा नारदस्य श्वेतद्वीप-निवृत्ति एवं बदरी-आगमनम् | Chapter 331: Praise of the Nārāyaṇa Narrative; Nārada’s Return from Śvetadvīpa and Arrival at Badarī
निमेषमात्रमपि हि वयो गच्छन्न तिष्ठति । स्वशरीरेष्वनित्येषु नित्यं किमनुचिन्तयेत्,आयु निरन्तर बीती जा रही है। वह पलभर भी ठहरती नहीं है। जब अपना शरीर ही अनित्य है, तब इस संसारकी किस वस्तुको नित्य समझा जाय
nimeṣamātram api hi vayo gacchan na tiṣṭhati | svaśarīreṣv anityeṣu nityaṃ kim anucintayet |
Nārada said: “Even for the span of a single blink, life does not stand still; it keeps moving on. When one’s own body is impermanent, what in this world should one keep contemplating as if it were eternal?”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
Time and lifespan move relentlessly; since the body itself is impermanent, one should not cling to worldly things as if they were eternal, but cultivate right understanding and detachment.
In the Shānti Parva’s instruction-oriented setting, Nārada delivers a reflective teaching that redirects attention from transient bodily and worldly concerns toward enduring values and insight.