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,द्विजश्रेष्ठ) देखिये, मनुष्यकी मृत्युके साथ-साथ उसका सारा साधन नष्ट हो जाता है; फिर वह पहलेसे सावधान हो या असावधान, क्या विशेष लाभ उठा सकेगा?
sarvam uccheda-niṣṭhaṃ sthāt paśya caitad dvijottama | apramattaḥ pramatto vā ki viśeṣaṃ kariṣyati ||
Janaka berkata: “Wahai yang terbaik antara para Brahmana, lihatlah: segala-galanya berakhir pada pemusnahan. Saat kematian tiba, semua sarana dan milik seseorang terputus sama sekali. Maka apakah kelebihan yang dapat diraih—sama ada dia hidup berjaga-jaga dan cermat, atau hidup lalai dan terleka?”
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.