Shloka 55
Dama-pradhāna-dharma (Self-restraint as the Root of Dharma) — Śānti-parva 154
मृता गर्भेषु जायन्ते जातमात्रा म्रियन्ति च । चड्क्रमन्तो प्रियन्ते च यौवनस्थास्तथा परे
mṛtā garbheṣu jāyante jātamātrā mriyanti ca | caṅkramanto mriyante ca yauvanasthās tathā pare ||
贾姆布卡说道：“有的尚在母胎便已死去，出生时已是尸身；有的才一出世便即刻夭折。有的长到能行走奔动时死去，也有的在青春鼎盛之际便遽然离世。”
जम्बुक उवाच
Educational Q&A
Life is uncertain at every stage—from the womb to youth—so one should cultivate dharma, restraint, and inner detachment rather than relying on youth, strength, or time as guarantees.
Jambuka is reflecting on the many ways death can arrive—before birth, at birth, in childhood, or in youth—using these examples to underscore the fragility of embodied life and to support a moral-spiritual admonition toward seriousness in dharma.