Shloka 3
Śakra–Namuci-saṃvāda: Śoka-nivāraṇa and Daiva-vicāra
Indra and Namuci on grief, composure, and inevitability
सर्वमुच्छेदनिष्ठं स्थात् पश्य चैतद् द्विजोत्तम | अप्रमत्त: प्रमत्तो वा कि विशेषं करिष्यति
sarvam uccheda-niṣṭhaṃ sthāt paśya caitad dvijottama | apramattaḥ pramatto vā ki viśeṣaṃ kariṣyati ||
हे द्विजश्रेष्ठ! पाहा, सर्व काही उच्छेदात (विनाशात)च समाप्त होते. मृत्यूसह मनुष्याची सर्व साधने तुटून जातात; मग तो सावध असो वा प्रमत्त—काय विशेष साध्य होईल?
जनक उवाच
Educational Q&A
Janaka highlights the inevitability of death and the cutting-off of all worldly supports, questioning what lasting ‘special gain’ comes merely from careful versus careless worldly living; the verse pushes the listener toward reflection on what endures beyond possessions—inner discipline, knowledge, and dharma.
In a philosophical exchange within the Śānti Parva, King Janaka addresses a Brahmin sage, using the certainty of death to challenge conventional ideas of advantage and security, steering the discussion toward renunciation and the proper basis of a meaningful life.