अध्याय २९७ — श्रेयः, धृति, दान-नियमाः
Welfare, Steadfastness, and Norms of Giving
न वक्ित् त्राति वै राजन् दिष्टान्तवशमागतम् | सावशेषायुषं चापि कश्रिन्नैवापकर्षति,राजन! मृत्युके वशमें पड़े हुए प्राणीको कोई बचा नहीं सकता और जिसकी आयु शेष है, उसे कोई मार भी नहीं सकता
na kaścit trāti vai rājan diṣṭāntavaśam āgatam | sāvaśeṣāyuṣaṃ cāpi kaścin naivāpakarṣati, rājan ||
Wahai Raja, tak seorang pun dapat menyelamatkan makhluk yang telah jatuh di bawah kuasa takdir. Dan demikian pula, tak seorang pun dapat memendekkan hidup orang yang jatah usianya masih tersisa.
पराशर उवाच
The verse teaches the inevitability of what is ordained: one cannot rescue a being who has reached destiny’s appointed end, and one cannot prematurely destroy a person whose remaining lifespan is not yet exhausted. It frames death and survival as governed by the allotted term of life rather than mere human effort.
Parāśara addresses a king and offers a consolatory, instructive reflection on mortality: human agency has limits before the ordained course of life and death, so the listener should understand the bounds of control and respond with steadiness and discernment.