Shloka 55
Dama-pradhāna-dharma (Self-restraint as the Root of Dharma) — Śānti-parva 154
मृता गर्भेषु जायन्ते जातमात्रा म्रियन्ति च । चड्क्रमन्तो प्रियन्ते च यौवनस्थास्तथा परे
mṛtā garbheṣu jāyante jātamātrā mriyanti ca | caṅkramanto mriyante ca yauvanasthās tathā pare ||
Wika ni Jambuka: “May namamatay habang nasa sinapupunan pa at isinisilang na bangkay; may namamatay pagkapanganak na pagkapanganak. May namamatay kapag marunong nang kumilos at maglakad, at may iba namang pumanaw kahit nasa kasibulan ng kabataan.”
जम्बुक उवाच
Educational Q&A
Life is uncertain at every stage—from the womb to youth—so one should cultivate dharma, restraint, and inner detachment rather than relying on youth, strength, or time as guarantees.
Jambuka is reflecting on the many ways death can arrive—before birth, at birth, in childhood, or in youth—using these examples to underscore the fragility of embodied life and to support a moral-spiritual admonition toward seriousness in dharma.