Shloka 16
स क्रोधलो भौ मोहवानन्तरात्मा स वै मृत्युस्त्वच्छरीरे य एष: । एवं मृत्युं जायमानं विदित्वा ज्ञाने तिष्ठन् न बिभेतीह मृत्यो: । विनश्यते विषये तस्य मृत्यु- मृत्योर्यथा विषयं प्राप्य मर्त्य:,यह जो तुम्हारे शरीरके भीतर अन्तरात्मा है, मोहके वशीभूत होकर यही क्रोध, लोभ (प्रमाद) और मृत्युरूप हो जाता है। इस प्रकार मोहसे होनेवाली मृत्युकों जानकर जो ज्ञाननिष्ठ हो जाता है, वह इस लोकमें मृत्युसे कभी नहीं डरता। उसके समीप आकर मृत्यु उसी प्रकार नष्ट हो जाती है, जैसे मृत्युके अधिकारमें आया हुआ मरणथधर्मा मनुष्य
sa krodha-lobhau mohavān antarātmā sa vai mṛtyus tvac-charīre ya eṣaḥ | evaṃ mṛtyuṃ jāyamānaṃ viditvā jñāne tiṣṭhan na bibhetīha mṛtyoḥ | vinaśyate viṣaye tasya mṛtyur mṛtyor yathā viṣayaṃ prāpya martyaḥ ||
That inner Self within your body, when overpowered by delusion, becomes anger and greed—and indeed becomes death itself. Knowing thus how death is born from delusion, one who stands firm in true knowledge does not fear death in this world. For death, when it comes near such a person, is destroyed—just as a mortal perishes when he falls within the domain of Death.
सनत्युजात उवाच
Educational Q&A
Death is not merely an external event; it is 'born' inwardly when the inner self is seized by delusion, manifesting as anger and greed. One established in liberating knowledge sees through this delusion and therefore becomes fearless; for such a person, death loses its power.
In the Sanatsujātīya section of the Udyoga Parva, Sanatsujāta instructs (in response to Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s anxiety) on the nature of death and fear. Here he explains that delusion generates the inner conditions that make death effective, while steadfast knowledge nullifies death’s dominion.