Shloka 19
राजधर्मः—राष्ट्ररक्षणं, दण्डनीतिः, हयग्रीवोपाख्यानम्
Royal Duty: Protection, Penal Policy, and the Hayagrīva Exemplum
आत्मापि चायं न मम सर्वापि पृथिवी मम । यथा मम तथान्येषामिति पश्यन् न मुहृति
ātmāpi cāyaṃ na mama sarvāpi pṛthivī mama | yathā mama tathānyeṣām iti paśyan na muhṛti ||
Vyāsa dit : «Même ce soi (et ce corps) n’est pas “à moi” ; et la terre entière n’est pas “à moi” non plus. Voyant que tout ce qu’on revendique comme “à moi” est, de la même manière, aussi “aux autres”, l’homme qui garde cette vision ne tombe pas dans l’illusion, fût-ce un seul instant.»
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches non-possessiveness: neither the body/self nor the earth truly belongs to ‘me’. By seeing ‘mine’ as equally ‘others’—a shared, non-exclusive relation—one avoids moha (delusion) and cultivates peace and ethical restraint.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on peace and right conduct after the war, Vyāsa delivers a reflective teaching aimed at dissolving attachment to body and possessions, presenting a mental discipline that prevents confusion and grief.