Shloka 16
अव्यक्त–प्रकृति–इन्द्रियविचारः
The Unmanifest, Prakṛtis, and the Sense-Complex
संघातवन्मर्त्यलोक: परस्परमपाश्रित: । कदलीगर्भनि:सारो नौरिवाप्सु निमज्जति
saṅghātavan martyalokaḥ parasparam apāśritaḥ | kadalīgarbhaniḥsāro naur ivāpsu nimajjati ||
Dunia fana ini bagaikan tubuh yang tersusun: bagian-bagiannya saling bergantung. Demikian pula himpunan hubungan duniawi—istri, anak, ternak, dan sebagainya—bertumpu pada sokongan timbal balik. Namun saṃsāra ini hampa, tak berinti, laksana empulur pada batang pisang; dan seperti perahu yang tenggelam di air, segala sesuatu di sini pun terbenam dalam arus Waktu.
पराशर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Worldly life is mutually dependent and tightly interlinked, yet ultimately insubstantial and impermanent; everything is carried away and submerged by Time, so one should cultivate detachment and discernment.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on peace and liberation, the sage Parāśara speaks, using vivid metaphors (a hollow banana pith and a sinking boat) to warn against overreliance on worldly ties and to emphasize the overpowering movement of Time.