Shloka 31
Jarā-Mṛtyu-anatikrama: Janaka–Pañcaśikha-saṃvāda
Aging and Death Cannot Be Overstepped
समानयानया चेह सह वासमहं कथम् । गच्छाम्यबुद्धभावत्वादेषेदानीं स्थिरो भवे
samānayānayā ceha saha vāsam ahaṃ katham | gacchāmy abuddhabhāvatvād eṣedānīṃ sthiro bhave ||
Vasiṣṭha nói: “Làm sao ta còn có thể ở đây, chung một mái nhà với nàng? Vì tâm trí ta chưa sáng suốt nên ta ra đi; chỉ bây giờ mong nàng mới được vững vàng và an định.”
वसिष्ठ उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames ethical restraint as sometimes requiring separation: recognizing one’s own lack of clear judgment (abuddha-bhāva), one should withdraw rather than persist in a situation that destabilizes oneself or another. The aim is inner steadiness (sthiratā) and responsible conduct.
Vasiṣṭha speaks about leaving a shared residence with a woman, stating that he cannot remain living together. He attributes the decision to his own impaired discernment and expresses the hope that, with his departure, she may now become steady and composed.