Shloka 22
अध्याय २९७ — श्रेयः, धृति, दान-नियमाः
Welfare, Steadfastness, and Norms of Giving
जातमन्वेति मरणं नृणामिति विनिश्चय: । अन्तवन्ति हि कर्माणि सेवन्ते गुणत: प्रजा:
jātam anveti maraṇaṁ nṛṇām iti viniścayaḥ | antavanti hi karmāṇi sevante guṇataḥ prajāḥ ||
人自出生之时起，死亡便紧随其后——此乃智者所定之论。又因诸业本性有限、终归坏灭，众生为自然三德（sattva、rajas、tamas）所驱，仍不断从事这些转瞬即逝之行。
पराशर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Birth and death are inseparably linked: mortality begins 'from birth' itself. Since all actions are finite and end-bound, people—impelled by the guṇas of prakṛti—keep performing transient deeds. The ethical thrust is toward sobriety, discernment, and reduced attachment to impermanent action and its fruits.
Parāśara is instructing his listener in a reflective, philosophical mode typical of the Śānti Parva: he states a wise certainty about human mortality and explains human behavior through the framework of the guṇas, emphasizing why beings continue to act despite the perishability of actions and life.