Shloka 42
Kṣemadarśa–Kālakavṛkṣīya Saṃvāda: Counsel on Impermanence, Non-attachment, and Composure in Dispossession
जीवितं संत्यजन्त्येके धनलोभपरा जना: । न जीवितार्थ मन्यन्ते पुरुषा हि धनादृते,कुछ लोग तो ऐसे हैं, जो धनके लोभमें पड़कर अपने प्राणतक गाँवा देते हैं। ऐसे मनुष्य धनके सिवा जीवनका दूसरा कोई प्रयोजन ही नहीं समझते
jīvitaṁ saṁtyajanty eke dhanalobhaparā janāḥ | na jīvitārthaṁ manyante puruṣā hi dhanād ṛte ||
Bhishma berkata: Ada orang, didorong oleh ketamakan terhadap harta, sanggup mengorbankan nyawa mereka sendiri. Bagi mereka, hidup seolah-olah tiada tujuan selain kekayaan, seakan-akan kehidupan hanya bermakna apabila terikat pada wang dan harta.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma warns that obsession with wealth can become so extreme that people sacrifice even life itself, mistaking money for the sole purpose of living; the ethical lesson is to recognize wealth as a means, not the ultimate end, and to guard against lobha (greed) that destroys discernment.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and right conduct, Bhishma is advising Yudhishthira by describing a common moral failing: people who are so attached to wealth that they disregard the true aims of life and even risk death for gain.