Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 20
Adhyāya 119: Vyāsa–Kīṭa-saṃvāda
Tapas-bala and karmic ascent across yoni
आत्मौपम्येन मन्तव्यं बुद्धिमद्धिः कृतात्मभि: । मृत्युतो भयमस्तीति विदुषां भूतिमिच्छताम्
ātmaupamyena mantavyaṃ buddhimadbhiḥ kṛtātmabhiḥ | mṛtyuto bhayam astīti viduṣāṃ bhūtim icchatām ||
ພີດສະມະ ກ່າວວ່າ: ຜູ້ມີປັນຍາ ແລະ ຜູ້ຝຶກຝົນຕົນ ຄວນພິຈາລະນາໂດຍເອົາຕົນເປັນມາດຕະຖານ—ເຫັນສັດທັງປວງເປັນເຫມືອນຕົນ. ແມ່ນແຕ່ນັກຮູ້ຜູ້ປາຖະໜາຄວາມຜາສຸກຂອງຕົນ ຍັງມີຄວາມຢ້ານຕາຍ; ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ສັດທີ່ບໍ່ຜິດ ແຂງແຮງ ແລະ ປາຖະໜາຈະມີຊີວິດ ຈະບໍ່ຢ້ານໄດ້ແນວໃດ ເມື່ອຖືກຄົນບາບຜູ້ຫາກິນດ້ວຍເນື້ອ ບັງຄັບຂ້າຢ່າງຮຸນແຮງ?
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Use ātmaupamya—placing oneself in another’s position—as an ethical test: since everyone fears death and seeks well-being, one should not cause fear and harm to other living beings, especially the innocent.
In Anushasana Parva, Bhishma is instructing Yudhishthira on dharma and right conduct. Here he argues from a universal human experience—fear of death—to ground compassion toward all creatures and to condemn violent killing driven by appetite or livelihood.