Shloka 13
Gautama–Yama Saṃvāda: Mātṛ-Pitṛ-Ṛṇa (Debt to Parents) and Śubha-Loka Attainment
हिमवान् वा महाशैल: समुद्रो वा महोदधि: । महत्त्वान्नान्वपद्येतां नभसो वान्तरं तथा
himavān vā mahāśailaḥ samudro vā mahodadhiḥ | mahattvān nānvapadyetāṃ nabhaso vāntaraṃ tathā ||
ພີດສະມະກ່າວວ່າ: «ຈະເປັນຫິມະວັນ ພູໃຫຍ່ອັນຍິ່ງໃຫຍ່ ຫຼື ມະຫາສະໝຸດ ອ່າງນ້ໍາອັນກວ້າງໃຫຍ່—ດ້ວຍຄວາມໃຫຍ່ຂອງມັນກໍຍັງບໍ່ອາດເທົ່າທັນ ‘ຄວາມຫວັງ’ ໄດ້. ເຊັ່ນຟ້າທີ່ບໍ່ອາດຄົ້ນພົບຂອບເຂດ, ຂ້ອຍກໍບໍ່ອາດພົບຈຸດສິ້ນສຸດຂອງຄວາມຫວັງ. ແລະທ່ານ—ໂອ ຜູ້ປະເສີດໃນຕະປະ—ຍ່ອມຮູ້ດີ, ເພາະບັນດາມຸນີຜູ້ມີຕະປະ ຖືກກ່າວວ່າເປັນຜູ້ຮູ້ທຸກສິ່ງ»។
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Hope/desire (āśā) is portrayed as effectively limitless—greater in its reach than even the vastness of mountains, oceans, or the sky. The ethical implication is a warning: unless restrained by discernment and contentment, longing keeps expanding and cannot be ‘filled’ by external magnitude.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and inner discipline, Bhīṣma addresses an ascetic interlocutor and uses cosmic comparisons (Himālaya, ocean, sky) to emphasize that the end of hope cannot be found, acknowledging the sage’s superior insight.