Shloka 826
Dama-pradhāna-dharma (Self-restraint as the Root of Dharma) — Śānti-parva 154
तस्य निष्ठावसानान्ते रुदन्तः कि करिष्यथ । जो न आँखोंसे देखता है, न शरीरसे कोई चेष्टा ही करता है, उसके जीवनका अन्त हो जानेपर अब तुमलोग रोकर क्या करोगे
tasya niṣṭhāvasānānte rudantaḥ kiṁ kariṣyatha |
Jambuka nói: “Khi mạng sống của người ấy đã đến tận cùng, các ngươi khóc lóc thì làm được gì? Với kẻ không còn thấy bằng mắt, cũng chẳng còn cử động hay gắng sức bằng thân thể, sau khi sinh mệnh đã dứt, than khóc có ích gì?”
जम्बुक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse critiques grief that arises too late to be meaningful: once life has ended, mere lamentation cannot change outcomes. It points toward dharmic restraint, timely responsibility, and a reflective acceptance of mortality rather than helpless sorrow.
Jambuka addresses others who are crying over someone whose life has ended, challenging them with a rhetorical question: what practical or moral purpose does their weeping serve now, especially for one who was already incapable of seeing or acting?