चिरकारि-उपाख्यानम् / The Exemplum of Cirakārī: Deliberation Before Irreversible Action
यदा नियतिकार्पण्यमथैषामेव रोचते । न हात्यन्तं धनवन्तो भवन्ति सुखिनो5पि वा
yadā niyati-kārpaṇyam athaiṣām eva rocate | na hi atyantaṃ dhanavanto bhavanti sukhino 'pi vā |
Ketika kemiskinan yang ditimbulkan oleh takdir menjadi keadaan hidup mereka sendiri, pandangan inilah yang terasa benar bagi mereka. Sebab tak seorang pun tetap sepenuhnya kaya, dan tak seorang pun tetap sepenuhnya bahagia. Karena itu, janganlah menyombongkan diri atas harta.
भीष्म उवाच
Wealth and happiness are unstable; since fate can reduce anyone to hardship, one should abandon arrogance based on riches and cultivate humility and dharmic conduct.
In Bhīṣma’s instruction during the Śānti Parva, he reflects on how people endorse moral restraint especially when they themselves experience misfortune, emphasizing the universal impermanence of prosperity.