Shloka 48
Chapter 2: Sudarśana Upākhyāna — Atithi-Dharma and the Conquest of Mṛtyu
Gṛhastha-Vrata
जिगीषमाणस्तु गृहे तदा मृत्यु: सुदर्शनम् । पृष्ठतोडन्वगमद्ू राजनू् रन्ध्रान्वेषी तदा सदा
jigīṣamāṇas tu gṛhe tadā mṛtyuḥ sudarśanam | pṛṣṭhato 'nvagamad rājan randhrānveṣī tadā sadā ||
Bhīṣma nói: “Khi ấy, lúc Sudarśana an trú trong đạo của người gia chủ, Thần Chết—mong khuất phục chàng—bám sát phía sau, tâu Đại vương, không ngừng dò tìm một sơ hở.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even while living the householder life, one must remain morally vigilant: Death (and, by extension, downfall) is portrayed as constantly seeking a ‘randhra’—a lapse or weakness—through which to defeat a person. Dharma is maintained by steady self-control and careful avoidance of faults.
Bhīṣma describes how Death, intent on conquering Sudarśana, follows him closely and continually looks for an opening—some defect in conduct—by which to gain power over him, highlighting Sudarśana’s steadfastness in gṛhastha-dharma.