Śreyas-nirdeśa (Discerning the Superior Good): Nārada–Gālava Saṃvāda
न मृत्युसेनामायान्तीं जातु कश्चित् प्रबाधते
na mṛtyusenām āyāntīṁ jātu kaścit prabādhate
ਭੀਸ਼ਮ ਨੇ ਆਖਿਆ—ਮੌਤ ਦੀ ਅੱਗੇ ਵਧਦੀ ਸੈਨਾ ਨੂੰ ਕੋਈ ਵੀ, ਕਿਸੇ ਵੀ ਵੇਲੇ, ਰੋਕ ਨਹੀਂ ਸਕਦਾ।
भीष्म उवाच
Death is inevitable and unstoppable; therefore one should focus on dharma, inner steadiness, and wise preparation rather than imagining that mortality can be defeated by force or avoidance.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction-setting, Bhīṣma is teaching about the nature of life and time; he uses the image of Death’s ‘army’ advancing to emphasize that all beings are subject to mortality.