Shloka 83
यक्ष उवाच मृतः कथं स्यात् पुरुष: कथ॑ राष्ट्र मृतं भवेत् । श्राद्ध मृतं कथं वा स्यात् कथं यज्ञों मृतो भवेत्
yakṣa uvāca mṛtaḥ kathaṁ syāt puruṣaḥ kathaṁ rāṣṭraṁ mṛtaṁ bhavet | śrāddhaṁ mṛtaṁ kathaṁ vā syāt kathaṁ yajño mṛto bhavet ||
夜叉问道：“何谓一人被称为‘死’？何谓一国可称为‘死’？何时祖先祭礼（śrāddha）被视为‘死’？又何时祭祀（yajña）被称为‘死’？”
यक्ष उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames ‘death’ not only as physical demise but as moral and functional collapse: a person, a kingdom, and even sacred rites can become ‘dead’ when their animating principles—dharma, sincerity, proper conduct, and right intention—are absent.
In the Yakṣa–praśna episode of the Vana Parva, the Yakṣa tests the responder through probing questions. Here he asks for definitions of what makes a person, a kingdom, a śrāddha, and a yajña effectively ‘dead,’ pushing the listener to reflect on ethical governance and the inner validity of ritual.