Shloka 18
Kṣemadarśa–Kālakavṛkṣīya Saṃvāda: Counsel on Impermanence, Non-attachment, and Composure in Dispossession
आत्मनो<ध्रुवतां पश्य॑स्तांस्त्वं किमनुशोचसि । बुद्धया चैवानुबुद्धयस्व ध्रुवं हि न भविष्यसि
ātmano 'dhruvatāṃ paśyaṃs tāṃs tvaṃ kim anuśocasi | buddhyā caivānubuddhyasva dhruvaṃ hi na bhaviṣyasi ||
Jika engkau melihat dan memahami bahwa tubuh ini tidak kekal, mengapa engkau terus-menerus meratapi para leluhur itu? Gunakan buddhi-mu dan renungkan dengan jernih: pasti akan tiba hari ketika engkau pun tidak lagi tinggal.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma urges rational discernment: since embodied life is transient, excessive mourning is misguided; one should understand impermanence and cultivate steadiness rather than being consumed by grief.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs the listener (Yudhiṣṭhira in the broader frame) on dharma and mental discipline after the war, redirecting him from sorrow for the departed toward clear reflection on the inevitability of death for all.