Shloka 2

Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 158 — Aṅgāraparṇa-saṃvāda and Gaṅgā-tīrtha Saṃghaṭṭa

Encounter at the Gaṅgā ford

Devanagari script

अवश्यं निधन सर्वर्गन्तव्यमिह मानवै: । अवश्यम्भाविन्यर्थे वै संतापो नेह विद्यते,एक-न-एक दिन संसारमें सभी मनुष्योंको अवश्य मरना पड़ेगा; अतः जो बात अवश्य होनेवाली है, उसके लिये यहाँ शोक करनेकी आवश्यकता नहीं है

Transliteration

avaśyaṃ nidhanaṃ sarvair gantavyam iha mānavaiḥ | avaśyambhāviny arthe vai santāpo neha vidyate ||

Translation

ในโลกนี้ มนุษย์ทั้งปวงย่อมต้องไปสู่ความตายเป็นแน่แท้ เพราะฉะนั้น ต่อสิ่งที่จักเกิดขึ้นอย่างหลีกเลี่ยงมิได้ ย่อมไม่ควรมีความโศกเศร้าในโลกนี้

Word by Word

अवश्यम्certainly, inevitably

निधनम्death, destruction

सर्वैःby all (people)

गन्तव्यम्must be gone to / must be met (i.e., must be undergone)

इहhere, in this world

मानवैःby humans

अवश्यम्certainly, inevitably

भाविनिin what is to happen / in the inevitable

अर्थेin the matter, with regard to the matter

वैindeed, surely

संतापःgrief, anguish

नnot

इहhere (in this case/world)

विद्यतेexists, is found

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

ब

ब्राह्मण (a Brahmin speaker)

म

मानव (human beings)

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Since death is unavoidable for all humans, grieving over what must certainly happen is portrayed as unnecessary; the verse counsels steadiness and acceptance of inevitability.

What is happening in the narrative?

A Brahmin speaker offers moral-philosophical instruction, using the universality of death to calm sorrow and redirect the listener toward composure and right understanding.