Shloka 203
Śreyas-nirdeśa (Discerning the Superior Good): Nārada–Gālava Saṃvāda
क्षेत्रापणगृहासक्तं मृत्युरादाय गच्छति । वह अपने खेत
kṣetrāpaṇagṛhāsaktaṃ mṛtyur ādāya gacchati |
Bhishma dit : La Mort emporte celui qui demeure absorbé par les champs, les marchés et les soucis du foyer. Pris dans d’innombrables actes accomplis pour eux, il est retiré du monde avant même d’en recueillir les fruits—révélant la fragilité des efforts mondains et l’urgence de la juste compréhension et du dharma.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Worldly attachments—especially to property, trade, and household preoccupations—do not guarantee fulfillment; death can intervene before any expected ‘fruit’ arrives. Therefore one should prioritize dharma, inner discipline, and a life oriented to lasting values rather than endless acquisition.
In Shanti Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on dharma and the conduct of life. Here he offers a reflective warning: a person engrossed in managing land, commerce, and home becomes trapped in many undertakings, yet death abruptly removes him, exposing the uncertainty of worldly plans.