Shloka 15
अध्याय २९७ — श्रेयः, धृति, दान-नियमाः
Welfare, Steadfastness, and Norms of Giving
त्वगन्तं देहमित्याहुर्विद्वांसो5ध्यात्मचिन्तका: । गुणैरपि परिक्षीणं शरीरं मर्त्यतां गतम्
tvag-antaṁ deham ity āhur vidvāṁso ’dhyātma-cintakāḥ | guṇair api parikṣīṇaṁ śarīraṁ martyatāṁ gatam ||
Parāśara dit : «Les sages qui méditent le Soi intérieur déclarent que ce corps s’achève dans la peau : sa limite extérieure n’est que cuir. Dépouillé de qualités et d’attraits, le corps est voué à la condition mortelle ; inévitablement il va à la mort. Cet enseignement détourne l’esprit de la beauté de surface et le conduit au discernement du Soi, au-delà de l’enveloppe périssable.»
पराशर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches dispassion (vairāgya) through clear seeing: the body’s outer limit is only skin, and the body is inherently perishable. Recognizing this undermines attachment to appearance and redirects attention to adhyātma—inner reality and the Self.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction-oriented setting, Parāśara speaks as a teacher, presenting a contemplative reflection used by the wise to cultivate detachment and ethical clarity. The focus is not on external events but on guiding the listener toward spiritual discrimination.