Shloka 24
Jarā-Mṛtyu-anatikrama: Janaka–Pañcaśikha-saṃvāda
Aging and Death Cannot Be Overstepped
अहमेव हि सम्मोहादन्यमन्यं जनाज्जनम् | मत्स्यो यथोदकज्ञानादनुवर्तितवानहम्
ahameva hi sammohād anyam anyaṃ janāj janam | matsyo yathodakajñānād anuvartitavān aham ||
វសិષ્ઠៈបាននិយាយថា៖ «ពិតប្រាកដណាស់ ខ្ញុំឯង ដោយសារមោហៈ បានតាមដានជាតិមួយទៅជាតិមួយ ប្រែពីបុគ្គលមួយទៅបុគ្គលមួយ។ ដូចត្រីដែលយល់ថាទឹកប៉ុណ្ណោះជាមូលដ្ឋាននៃជីវិត ហើយហែលពីអាងមួយទៅអាងមួយ ដូច្នេះដែរ ខ្ញុំដែលស្រឡាំងកាំង បានវង្វេងពីរាងកាយមួយទៅរាងកាយមួយ»។
वसिष्ठ उवाच
Educational Q&A
Delusion (moha) makes the self cling to embodied life as if it were the only support—like a fish that knows only water—thereby perpetuating saṃsāra, the repeated movement from one body/birth to another. The implied remedy is discernment and detachment leading toward self-knowledge and liberation.
Vasiṣṭha speaks introspectively, confessing his own former wandering under delusion. He illustrates the condition of transmigration with a vivid simile: a fish moving from one pond to another, assuming water to be its entire life-ground, just as an ignorant being moves from body to body taking embodied existence as ultimate.