Shloka 15
अध्याय २९७ — श्रेयः, धृति, दान-नियमाः
Welfare, Steadfastness, and Norms of Giving
त्वगन्तं देहमित्याहुर्विद्वांसो5ध्यात्मचिन्तका: । गुणैरपि परिक्षीणं शरीरं मर्त्यतां गतम्
tvag-antaṁ deham ity āhur vidvāṁso ’dhyātma-cintakāḥ | guṇair api parikṣīṇaṁ śarīraṁ martyatāṁ gatam ||
パラーシャラは言った。「内なる自己を観ずる賢者たちは、この身体は皮膚において終わると説く。外側の極みは、ただ皮にすぎぬ。あらゆる性質と魅力は衰え尽き、身は死すべき定めにある。必ずや死へと赴く。この教えは、うわべの美から心を背けさせ、朽ちゆく器を超えた自己を見分ける智慧へと導く。」
पराशर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches dispassion (vairāgya) through clear seeing: the body’s outer limit is only skin, and the body is inherently perishable. Recognizing this undermines attachment to appearance and redirects attention to adhyātma—inner reality and the Self.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction-oriented setting, Parāśara speaks as a teacher, presenting a contemplative reflection used by the wise to cultivate detachment and ethical clarity. The focus is not on external events but on guiding the listener toward spiritual discrimination.