Shloka 9
अहं कस्य कुतो वापि कः को मे ह भवेदिति । प्रयोजनमतिर्नित्यमेवं मोक्षाश्रमे वसेत्
ahaṁ kasya kuto vāpi kaḥ ko me ha bhaved iti | prayojanamatiḥ nityam evaṁ mokṣāśrame vaset ||
Bhishma said: “To whom do I belong? From where have I come? Who, indeed, is mine? What is the purpose of this life?” A renunciant should dwell in the āśrama of liberation with the mind continually engaged in such inquiry—living in steady reflection that loosens possessiveness and turns one toward freedom.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A renunciant should live with continuous self-inquiry—questioning ownership, origin, and attachment (“mine-ness”)—so the mind stays oriented toward life’s true purpose: liberation.
In the Shanti Parva instruction setting, Bhishma is advising on the discipline of the mokṣa-oriented life, describing the inner contemplations that should accompany dwelling in the renunciant āśrama.