Shloka 130
Śuka’s Guṇa-Transcendence and Vyāsa’s Consolation (शुकगति-वर्णनम्)
रिपौ मित्रेडथ मध्यस्थे विजये संधिविग्रहे । कृतवान् यो महीपाल: कि तस्मिन् मुक्तलक्षणम्
ripau mitre'tha madhyasthē vijayē sandhi-vigrahē | kṛtavān yo mahīpālaḥ ki tasmin mukta-lakṣaṇam ||
भीष्म म्हणाले—शत्रू, मित्र आणि मध्यस्थ यांच्याबाबतीत, तसेच विजय, संधी व विग्रहाच्या प्रसंगी जो राजा यथोचित कर्म करतो—त्याच्यात जीवन्मुक्तीचे लक्षण काय?
भीष्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a key inquiry of Śānti Parva: even when a ruler performs correct political duties—discerning friend, enemy, and neutral, and choosing victory, treaty, or war appropriately—liberation is not merely external success. The question points toward inner marks of freedom: non-attachment, equanimity, and dharmic intention amid action.
Bhīṣma, instructing on rājadharma and higher aims, raises a reflective question: if a king has already acted properly in diplomacy and conflict, what additional sign distinguishes him as a liberated person? It sets up discussion on the inner spiritual state alongside outward governance.