Śreyas-nirdeśa (Discerning the Superior Good): Nārada–Gālava Saṃvāda
पुष्पाणीव विचिन्वन्तमन्यत्र गतमानसम् | अनवाप्तेषु कामेषु मृत्युरभ्येति मानवम्
puṣpāṇīva vicinvantam anyatra gatamānasam | anavāpteṣu kāmeṣu mṛtyur abhyeti mānavam ||
ພີສະມະກ່າວວ່າ: «ເຫມືອນຄົນຜູ້ໜຶ່ງມົວເກັບດອກໄມ້ ໃຈໄປຢູ່ບ່ອນອື່ນ ຈົນບໍ່ທັນເຫັນອັນຕະລາຍ, ຄວາມຕາຍກໍມາຮອດມະນຸດຢ່າງກະທັນຫັນ ໃນຂະນະທີ່ຄວາມປາຖະໜາຍັງບໍ່ສໍາເລັດ—ຈັບເອົາເຂົາກ່ອນຈະທັນສໍາເລັດສິ່ງທີ່ໃຈປາຖະໜາ»។
भीष्म उवाच
Death can arrive unexpectedly while one is distracted and still chasing unfulfilled desires; therefore one should not postpone dharma and self-discipline, and should cultivate awareness and detachment from endless craving.
In Bhīṣma’s instruction in the Śānti Parva, he uses a vivid simile: a person picking flowers with a wandering mind is suddenly attacked; likewise, a human being absorbed in sense-objects is overtaken by death before desires are fulfilled.