Shloka 19
देवतापितृप्रश्नः — Nārada at Badarīāśrama: the ultimate referent of daiva and pitṛ worship
सारा संसार मृत्युके थपेड़े खाता हुआ वृद्धावस्थासे पीड़ित हो रहा है। ये रातें प्राणियोंकी आयुका अपहरण करके अपनेको सफल बनाती हुई बीत रही हैं। तुम धर्मरूपी नौकापर चढ़कर भवसागरसे पार हो जाओ ।।
sāraḥ saṃsāro mṛtyunā tāḍyamāno vṛddhāvasthayā ca pīḍyate | etā rātryaḥ prāṇinām āyuṣo ’paharaṇena svam eva saphalaṃ kurvatyaḥ atikrāmanti | tvaṃ dharmarūpiṇyā nāvā bhavasāgarāt pāraṃ gaccha || tiṣṭhantaṃ ca śayānaṃ ca mṛtyur anveṣate yadā | nivṛttiṃ labhate kasmād akasmān mṛtyunāśitaḥ ||
毗耶娑说：整个世界都被死神击打，受老迈所折磨。夜复一夜流逝，仿佛以夺取众生寿命而使自己“得逞”。因此，当登上达摩之舟，渡越轮回生有之海。因为无论人是站立还是卧卧，死神都在不断搜寻他。既然你随时都可能被死神猝然攫取并毁灭，你怎能如此无忧无虑、安然自若地坐着？
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Life is continually being diminished by time, and death can arrive at any moment; therefore one should not remain complacent but take refuge in Dharma and turn toward nivṛtti—inner withdrawal and liberation from saṃsāra.
In the didactic setting of the Śānti Parva, Vyāsa admonishes the listener by highlighting the inevitability of aging and death, using the image of nights ‘stealing’ lifespan and urging the person to cross the ocean of worldly existence by boarding the ‘boat’ of Dharma.