Shloka 5
Kṣemadarśa–Kālakavṛkṣīya Saṃvāda: Counsel on Impermanence, Non-attachment, and Composure in Dispossession
अन्यत्र मरणाद् दैन्यादन्यत्र परसंश्रयात् | क्षुद्रादन्यत्र चाचारात् तन््ममाचक्ष्व सत्तम
anyatra maraṇād dainyād anyatra parasaṁśrayāt | kṣudrād anyatra cācārāt tan mamācakṣva sattama, sādhūśiromaṇe |
毗湿摩说道：“人中至善者、德行之冠冕啊——请告诉我，是否还有别的道路：不必走向死亡，不必陷入卑屈的困顿，不必投靠他人，也不必行那琐碎卑下之举。若有更为高贵的解救之法，请为我宣示。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames an ethical search for a dignified path: Bhīṣma asks for a remedy that avoids extremes like death, degrading poverty, servile dependence, and base behavior—implying that dharma should preserve both moral integrity and human dignity.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction setting, Bhīṣma speaks as a teacher-figure and presses for guidance on an alternative course of action—seeking a higher, dharmic solution rather than resorting to despair, humiliation, or ignoble conduct.