Kṣemadarśa–Kālakavṛkṣīya Saṃvāda: Counsel on Impermanence, Non-attachment, and Composure in Dispossession
त्वं पुन: प्राज्ञरूप: सन् कृपणं परितप्यसे । अकाम्यान् कामयानोडर्थान् पराधीनानुपद्रवान्
tvaṁ punaḥ prājñarūpaḥ san kṛpaṇaṁ paritapyase | akāmyān kāmayāno 'rthān parādhīnān upadravān ||
Sinabi ni Bhīṣma: Bagaman mukha kang marunong, pinahihirapan mo pa rin ang sarili sa munting dalamhati. Hinahangad mo ang mga bagay na hindi dapat hangarin—mga bagay na nakasalalay sa iba at puno ng kapahamakan—at sa pagkapit mo sa mga iyon, ikaw ay nananaghoy sa kawalang-kaya.
भीष्म उवाच
Even a person who knows better can fall into sorrow through craving. Since worldly gains and pleasures are unstable, dependent on external factors, and often lead to distress, one should restrain desire and avoid degrading oneself through lamentation.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction-setting, Bhishma admonishes the listener (in context, Yudhishthira) for grieving and yearning for worldly ends despite understanding their impermanence and dependence, steering him toward steadiness and dispassion.