Śreyas-nirdeśa (Discerning the Superior Good): Nārada–Gālava Saṃvāda
क्षेत्रापणगृहासक्तं मृत्युरादाय गच्छति । वह अपने खेत
kṣetrāpaṇagṛhāsaktaṃ mṛtyur ādāya gacchati |
毗湿摩说道:死亡带走那沉溺于田地、集市与家业琐务之人。他为此陷入无数作为之网;然而尚未得其果报,便已被从世间夺去——显出世俗营求之脆弱,也显出正见与法(dharma)之迫切。
भीष्म उवाच
Worldly attachments—especially to property, trade, and household preoccupations—do not guarantee fulfillment; death can intervene before any expected ‘fruit’ arrives. Therefore one should prioritize dharma, inner discipline, and a life oriented to lasting values rather than endless acquisition.
In Shanti Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on dharma and the conduct of life. Here he offers a reflective warning: a person engrossed in managing land, commerce, and home becomes trapped in many undertakings, yet death abruptly removes him, exposing the uncertainty of worldly plans.