Shloka 826
Dama-pradhāna-dharma (Self-restraint as the Root of Dharma) — Śānti-parva 154
तस्य निष्ठावसानान्ते रुदन्तः कि करिष्यथ । जो न आँखोंसे देखता है, न शरीरसे कोई चेष्टा ही करता है, उसके जीवनका अन्त हो जानेपर अब तुमलोग रोकर क्या करोगे
tasya niṣṭhāvasānānte rudantaḥ kiṁ kariṣyatha |
जब उसके जीवन का अंतिम अंत हो चुका है, तब रोकर तुम क्या करोगे? जो न आँखों से देखता है, न शरीर से कोई चेष्टा करता है—उसके प्राण चले जाने पर विलाप का क्या प्रयोजन?
जम्बुक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse critiques grief that arises too late to be meaningful: once life has ended, mere lamentation cannot change outcomes. It points toward dharmic restraint, timely responsibility, and a reflective acceptance of mortality rather than helpless sorrow.
Jambuka addresses others who are crying over someone whose life has ended, challenging them with a rhetorical question: what practical or moral purpose does their weeping serve now, especially for one who was already incapable of seeing or acting?