Atithi-satkāra and the Consolation of Wise Counsel (अतिथिसत्कारः प्रज्ञानवचनस्य च पराश्वासनम्)
कण्डरीको<थ राजा च ब्रह्म॒दत्त: प्रतापवान् । जातीमरणजं दु:खं स्मृत्वा स्मृत्वा पुन: पुन:
Kaṇḍarīko ’tha rājā ca Brahmadattaḥ pratāpavān | jātimaraṇajaṁ duḥkhaṁ smṛtvā smṛtvā punaḥ punaḥ ||
Lalu Raja Kaṇḍarīka, dan Brahmadatta yang perkasa pula—berulang-ulang mengingat duka yang lahir dari kelahiran dan kematian—terus mengarahkan batin pada lingkar fana yang menyakitkan itu, sebagai pendorong menuju pengendalian diri dan pengertian yang lebih tinggi.
तामिन्द्र उवाच गच्छ नहुषस्त्वया वाच्योथ<पूर्वेण मामृषियुक्तेन यानेन त्वमधिरूढ
Repeated contemplation of the suffering inherent in birth and death (saṃsāra-duḥkha) is presented as a moral and spiritual catalyst: it encourages detachment, sobriety, and a turn toward dharma and liberation-oriented insight rather than mere worldly power.
The verse describes two kings—Kaṇḍarīka and the mighty Brahmadatta—who repeatedly remember the pain tied to the cycle of birth and death. This recollection frames their mindset and signals a reflective, renunciatory or ethically awakened turn within the broader Śānti Parva discourse.