Shloka 4
Dama-pradhāna-dharma (Self-restraint as the Root of Dharma) — Śānti-parva 154
दुःखिता: केचिदादाय बालमप्राप्तयौवनम् । कुलसर्वस्वभूतं वै रुदन््त: शोकविह्दला:,जिसने युवावस्थामें अभी प्रवेश ही नहीं किया था तथा जो अपने कुलका सर्वस्व था, उस मरे हुए बालकको लेकर उसके कुछ दुखी बान्धव शोकसे व्याकुल हो फ़ूट-फ़ूटकर रोने लगे
duḥkhitāḥ kecid ādāya bālam aprāptayauvanam | kulasarvasvabhūtaṃ vai rudantaḥ śokavihvalāḥ ||
ភីស្មាបានមានព្រះវាចា៖ «បងប្អូនញាតិខ្លះ ដែលរងទុក្ខយ៉ាងខ្លាំង បានលើកយកសពកុមារនោះ—អ្នកដែលមិនទាន់ឈានចូលវ័យយុវវ័យ ហើយត្រូវគេចាត់ទុកថាជាទ្រព្យសម្បត្តិទាំងមូលនៃវង្ស—ហើយដោយចិត្តរង្គោះរង្គើដោយសោកសៅ ពួកគេយំស្រែកដោយទុក្ខវេទនា»។
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the intensity of human sorrow when death comes before life’s expected stages, especially when a child embodies a family’s hopes. It implicitly points to the ethical need for steadiness and compassion in the face of impermanence.
Bhishma describes a poignant scene: relatives lift and carry the dead body of a boy who had not yet reached youth, and they cry loudly, shaken and overwhelmed by grief, because he was considered the family’s greatest treasure.