Shloka 216
Śreyas-nirdeśa (Discerning the Superior Good): Nārada–Gālava Saṃvāda
अप्राप्तसर्वकामार्थ मृत्युरादाय गच्छति । मनुष्य दुर्बल हो या बलवान, बुद्धिमान् हो या शूरवीर अथवा मूर्ख हो या विद्वान--मृत्यु उसकी समस्त कामनाओं के पूर्ण होनेसे पहले ही उसे उठा ले जाती है
aprāptasarvakāmārtha mṛtyur ādāya gacchati |
Bhishma disse: A Morte leva a pessoa antes que todos os desejos e objetivos se cumpram. Seja fraco ou forte, inteligente ou heroico, tolo ou erudito—a mortalidade interrompe todo plano humano, lembrando que a vida deve firmar-se no dharma, e não no adiamento sem fim em busca de completude mundana.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
No one completes all desires and worldly aims; death can arrive at any time. Therefore one should not postpone righteous living—practice dharma and cultivate detachment rather than assuming there will be time to finish every plan.
In the Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on ethics and right conduct after the war. Here he emphasizes the certainty and unpredictability of death, using it as a moral prompt toward dharmic priorities.