Shloka 16
पाण्डोः श्राद्धं, सत्यवत्याः वनगमनम्, बाल्यस्पर्धा च
Pāṇḍu’s Śrāddha, Satyavatī’s Withdrawal, and Childhood Rivalry
न जिजीविषुवत् किंचिन्न मुमूर्षवदाचरन् । जीवितं मरणं चैव नाभिनन्दन् न च द्विषन्,एक आदमी बसूलेसे मेरी एक बाँह काटता हो और दूसरा मेरी दूसरी बाँहपर चन्दन छिड़कता हो तो उन दोनोंमेंसे एकके अकल्याणका और दूसरेके कल्याणका चिन्तन नहीं करूँगा। जीने अथवा मरनेकी इच्छावाले मनुष्य जैसी चेष्टाएँ करते हैं, वैसी कोई चेष्टा मैं नहीं करूँगा। न जीवनका अभिनन्दन करूँगा, न मृत्युसे द्वेष
na jijīviṣuvat kiñcin na mumūrṣuvad ācaran | jīvitaṃ maraṇaṃ caiva nābhinandan na ca dviṣan |
Vaiśampāyana disse: “Não me comportarei como quem se agarra à vida, nem como quem anseia pela morte. Não acolherei a vida nem odiarei a morte. Ainda que um homem me cortasse um braço com um machado enquanto outro ungisse o outro com pasta de sândalo, eu não desejaria mal ao primeiro nem bem ao segundo.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches equanimity: a disciplined person should not be driven by craving for life or aversion to death, and should remain free from partiality—neither wishing harm to an aggressor nor favoring a benefactor—maintaining inner steadiness beyond pleasure and pain.
In Vaiśampāyana’s narration, a speaker articulates a vow-like stance of neutrality toward life and death, illustrated by a striking contrast: one person harms (cuts an arm) while another comforts (applies sandal paste). The point is the resolve to remain unbiased and unshaken in both extremes.