Shloka 70
एतद् विदित्वा न नरेण कार्यं ममत्वम् आत्मन्य् अपि पण्डितेन तिष्ठन्तु तावत् तनयात्मजायाः क्षेत्रादयो ये तु शरीरतो ऽन्ये
etad viditvā na nareṇa kāryaṃ mamatvam ātmany api paṇḍitena tiṣṭhantu tāvat tanayātmajāyāḥ kṣetrādayo ye tu śarīrato 'nye
Knowing this truth, a wise person should not cultivate the notion of “mine”—not even with regard to one’s own body. Let sons, grandsons, wife, fields, and the rest remain only so long as they do; for all these are other than the body, and therefore even more truly “not-Self.”
Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: compassionate
Concept: Knowing the transience of relations and possessions, the wise should abandon ‘mine-ness’ even toward the body; family and property are external and therefore not-self.
Vedantic Theme: Atman
Application: Practice viveka: treat body, relationships, and assets as entrusted responsibilities rather than identity; cultivate daily non-possessiveness.
Vishishtadvaita: Supports the distinction between ātman and upādhi while preserving personal selfhood; redirects ‘mamatā’ from prakṛti-based adjuncts to rightful belonging to the Lord (śaraṇāgati/śeṣatva).
Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman
Bhakti Type: shanta
FAQs
The verse treats mamatva as a root error: even the body is not truly “mine,” so attachment to family and property—being even more external—should be held lightly and seen as temporary.
Parāśara frames non-attachment as practical wisdom: let relationships and possessions remain while they last, but do not build identity upon them, because they do not constitute the Self and inevitably change.
By weakening identification with body and possessions, the seeker becomes fit to recognize the higher, enduring reality—ultimately grounded in Vishnu as the Supreme Principle beyond transient worldly ownership.