Shloka 85
देवतापितृप्रश्नः — Nārada at Badarīāśrama: the ultimate referent of daiva and pitṛ worship
मातापितृसहस््राणि पुत्रदारशतानि च । अनागतान्यतीतानि कस्य ते कस्य वा वयम्,हजारों माता-पिता और सैकड़ों स्त्री-पुत्र पहले जन्मोंमें हो चुके हैं और भविष्यमें होंगे। वे हममेंसे किसके हैं और हम उनमेंसे किसके हैं?
mātāpitr̥sahasrāṇi putradāraśatāni ca | anāgatānyatītāni kasya te kasya vā vayam ||
Vyāsa berkata: Ribuan ibu dan ayah, serta ratusan putra dan istri, telah menjadi “milik kita” dalam kelahiran-kelahiran lampau—dan akan demikian pula dalam kelahiran-kelahiran yang akan datang. Maka, sesungguhnya mereka itu milik siapa? Dan kita ini sesungguhnya milik siapa?
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse undermines possessiveness and grief rooted in family-identity by pointing to saṃsāra: across countless births, one has had innumerable parents, spouses, and children. Therefore, clinging to “mine” and “yours” is ethically misguided; one should act with dharma while cultivating detachment.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on right understanding after the war, Vyāsa speaks in a reflective, philosophical register, reminding the listener that worldly relations recur and change across past and future lives, so one should not be overwhelmed by attachment-based sorrow or pride.