Shloka 13
मोक्षधर्मः — स्नेहपाशच्छेदः
Mokṣa-dharma: Cutting the Bonds of Attachment
शून्यागारं वृक्षमूलमरण्यम थवा गुहाम् । अज्ञातचर्या गत्वान्यां ततो<न्यत्रैव संविशेत्
śūnyāgāraṁ vṛkṣamūlam araṇyaṁ athavā guhām | ajñātacaryāṁ gatvānyāṁ tato 'nyatraiva saṁviśet ||
Bhīṣma dijo: «Que se acoja a una morada vacía, a la raíz de un árbol, al bosque o a una cueva de montaña. Habiendo adoptado un modo de vida desconocido y discreto, que pase a otro lugar y allí se establezca—oculto y entregado a la contemplación interior.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
To cultivate detachment and inner discipline by living simply and inconspicuously—choosing secluded shelters and avoiding recognition—so the mind can remain focused on self-reflection and spiritual practice.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs on dharma and the path of restraint/renunciation. Here he advises a seeker to stay in secluded places (empty house, tree-root, forest, cave) and to live incognito, shifting residence to remain unobtrusive and devoted to contemplation.