Shloka 22
अध्याय २९७ — श्रेयः, धृति, दान-नियमाः
Welfare, Steadfastness, and Norms of Giving
जातमन्वेति मरणं नृणामिति विनिश्चय: । अन्तवन्ति हि कर्माणि सेवन्ते गुणत: प्रजा:
jātam anveti maraṇaṁ nṛṇām iti viniścayaḥ | antavanti hi karmāṇi sevante guṇataḥ prajāḥ ||
Desde o instante em que alguém nasce, a morte o segue de perto — tal é a conclusão firmada dos sábios. E, porque as ações são por natureza finitas e perecíveis, os seres, impelidos pelas qualidades da natureza (sattva, rajas e tamas), continuam a praticar esses feitos transitórios.
पराशर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Birth and death are inseparably linked: mortality begins 'from birth' itself. Since all actions are finite and end-bound, people—impelled by the guṇas of prakṛti—keep performing transient deeds. The ethical thrust is toward sobriety, discernment, and reduced attachment to impermanent action and its fruits.
Parāśara is instructing his listener in a reflective, philosophical mode typical of the Śānti Parva: he states a wise certainty about human mortality and explains human behavior through the framework of the guṇas, emphasizing why beings continue to act despite the perishability of actions and life.