Shloka 15
अध्याय २९७ — श्रेयः, धृति, दान-नियमाः
Welfare, Steadfastness, and Norms of Giving
त्वगन्तं देहमित्याहुर्विद्वांसो5ध्यात्मचिन्तका: । गुणैरपि परिक्षीणं शरीरं मर्त्यतां गतम्
tvag-antaṁ deham ity āhur vidvāṁso ’dhyātma-cintakāḥ | guṇair api parikṣīṇaṁ śarīraṁ martyatāṁ gatam ||
波罗舍罗说道：“那些观照内我之智者宣说：此身止于皮肤——其最外之界不过一层皮囊。诸般资质与诱惑既已耗尽，身体注定归于死地；必然走向死亡。此教诲使心远离浮华之美，而趋向辨识那超越朽坏形骸的真我。”
पराशर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches dispassion (vairāgya) through clear seeing: the body’s outer limit is only skin, and the body is inherently perishable. Recognizing this undermines attachment to appearance and redirects attention to adhyātma—inner reality and the Self.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction-oriented setting, Parāśara speaks as a teacher, presenting a contemplative reflection used by the wise to cultivate detachment and ethical clarity. The focus is not on external events but on guiding the listener toward spiritual discrimination.