Shloka 24
Śrī–Indra–Bali Saṃvāda: The Departure and Fourfold Placement of Lakṣmī
अनात्मा ह्ात्मनो मृत्यु: क्लेशो मृत्युर्जरामय: । आत्मानं मन्यते मोहात् तदसम्यक् परं मतम्
anātmā hy ātmano mṛtyuḥ kleśo mṛtyur jarāmayaḥ | ātmānaṃ manyate mohāt tad asamyak paraṃ matam ||
毗湿摩说：“非我之物，仿佛成了‘我’之死亡。苦恼，以及老与病，都被称为‘死亡’，因为它们使身体枯耗毁坏。然而众生因迷妄而以身为我；此见极其谬误。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma warns against mistaking the body and its changing conditions for the true Self. He frames bodily afflictions—suffering, old age, and disease—as ‘death’ in the sense that they destroy or diminish the body, while the Self is distinct from these.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction section, Bhīṣma continues his philosophical counsel, emphasizing discernment between ātman (Self) and anātmā (non-Self) as part of Yudhiṣṭhira’s education in dharma and liberation-oriented ethics.