पापात्म-धर्मात्म-लक्षणम् तथा निर्वेदेन मोक्षमार्गः | Marks of the Sinful and the Righteous; Dispassion (Nirveda) as a Path to Liberation
“जब मातासे विछोह हो जाता है, उसी समय मनुष्य अपनेको बूढ़ा समझने लगता है, दुखी हो जाता है और उसके लिये सारा संसार सूना प्रतीत होने लगता है ।।
mātā-viyoge jāte tu tadāiva puruṣo naraḥ | vṛddhaṃ manyate cātmānaṃ duḥkhī bhavati caiva hi | tasya sarvaṃ jagac chūnyaṃ pratibhāti || nāsti mātṛ-samā chāyā nāsti mātṛ-samā gatiḥ | nāsti mātṛ-samaṃ trāṇaṃ nāsti mātṛ-samā priyā ||
Wika ni Bhishma: Kapag napahiwalay sa ina, sa sandaling iyon ay iisiping siya’y tumanda na, malulugmok sa lungkot, at para sa kanya’y magiging tigang at hungkag ang buong daigdig. Walang lilim na gaya ng lilim ng ina; walang masusulingan na gaya ng ina. Walang pag-iingat na kapantay ng sa ina; at para sa anak, wala nang higit na mahal kaysa ina.
भीष्म उवाच
A mother’s presence is portrayed as the unmatched source of shelter, support, protection, and affection; losing her makes life feel suddenly aged and empty. Ethically, it urges reverence, gratitude, and care toward one’s mother as a foundational dharmic duty.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and right conduct. Here he emphasizes the unique role of the mother in human life, using vivid psychological effects of maternal separation to teach the value of familial bonds and duty.