Shloka 22
अध्याय २९७ — श्रेयः, धृति, दान-नियमाः
Welfare, Steadfastness, and Norms of Giving
जातमन्वेति मरणं नृणामिति विनिश्चय: । अन्तवन्ति हि कर्माणि सेवन्ते गुणत: प्रजा:
jātam anveti maraṇaṁ nṛṇām iti viniścayaḥ | antavanti hi karmāṇi sevante guṇataḥ prajāḥ ||
Dès l’instant même où l’homme naît, la mort le suit de près : telle est la conclusion arrêtée des sages. Et parce que les actes sont par nature limités et périssables, les êtres, mus par les qualités de la nature (sattva, rajas et tamas), persistent à accomplir ces œuvres passagères.
पराशर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Birth and death are inseparably linked: mortality begins 'from birth' itself. Since all actions are finite and end-bound, people—impelled by the guṇas of prakṛti—keep performing transient deeds. The ethical thrust is toward sobriety, discernment, and reduced attachment to impermanent action and its fruits.
Parāśara is instructing his listener in a reflective, philosophical mode typical of the Śānti Parva: he states a wise certainty about human mortality and explains human behavior through the framework of the guṇas, emphasizing why beings continue to act despite the perishability of actions and life.