Shloka 31
Jarā-Mṛtyu-anatikrama: Janaka–Pañcaśikha-saṃvāda
Aging and Death Cannot Be Overstepped
समानयानया चेह सह वासमहं कथम् । गच्छाम्यबुद्धभावत्वादेषेदानीं स्थिरो भवे
samānayānayā ceha saha vāsam ahaṃ katham | gacchāmy abuddhabhāvatvād eṣedānīṃ sthiro bhave ||
婆悉吒说道：“我怎能还在此处与她同居一室？因我心智不明，我将离去；唯愿她如今方得安住、沉定。”
वसिष्ठ उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames ethical restraint as sometimes requiring separation: recognizing one’s own lack of clear judgment (abuddha-bhāva), one should withdraw rather than persist in a situation that destabilizes oneself or another. The aim is inner steadiness (sthiratā) and responsible conduct.
Vasiṣṭha speaks about leaving a shared residence with a woman, stating that he cannot remain living together. He attributes the decision to his own impaired discernment and expresses the hope that, with his departure, she may now become steady and composed.