Shloka 130
Śuka’s Guṇa-Transcendence and Vyāsa’s Consolation (शुकगति-वर्णनम्)
रिपौ मित्रेडथ मध्यस्थे विजये संधिविग्रहे । कृतवान् यो महीपाल: कि तस्मिन् मुक्तलक्षणम्
ripau mitre'tha madhyasthē vijayē sandhi-vigrahē | kṛtavān yo mahīpālaḥ ki tasmin mukta-lakṣaṇam ||
毗湿摩说：“对待仇敌、友人与中立者；在需要取胜、结盟议和或公开交战之时——若一位国王在每种情势下都行其所当行，那么此人‘生前解脱’（jīvanmukti）的标志又是什么？”
भीष्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a key inquiry of Śānti Parva: even when a ruler performs correct political duties—discerning friend, enemy, and neutral, and choosing victory, treaty, or war appropriately—liberation is not merely external success. The question points toward inner marks of freedom: non-attachment, equanimity, and dharmic intention amid action.
Bhīṣma, instructing on rājadharma and higher aims, raises a reflective question: if a king has already acted properly in diplomacy and conflict, what additional sign distinguishes him as a liberated person? It sets up discussion on the inner spiritual state alongside outward governance.