Shloka 116
अहन्यहनि भूतानि गच्छन्तीह यमालयम् | शेषा: स्थावरमिच्छन्ति किमाश्चर्यमत: परम्
ahany ahani bhūtāni gacchantīha yamālayam | śeṣāḥ sthāvaram icchanti kim āścaryam ataḥ param ||
अहन्यहनि भूतानि गच्छन्तीह यमालयम्। शेषाः स्थावरमिच्छन्ति किमाश्चर्यमतः परम्॥
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a moral-psychological paradox: although death is witnessed daily, people still cling to the expectation of lasting life. It urges humility, realism about impermanence, and a dharmic orientation that prepares the mind for loss and change.
In the Vana Parva’s Yakṣa-prashna context, Yudhiṣṭhira answers a probing question about what is most astonishing in the world. He points to the everyday visibility of death contrasted with the survivors’ persistent desire for permanence.