Shloka 51

Śukra’s Ultimatum and Devayānī’s Demand (शुक्र-प्रतिज्ञा तथा देवयानी-वर-याचना)

Devanagari script

पृथिवी रत्नसम्पूर्णा हिरण्यं पशव: स्त्रिय: । नालमेकस्य तत्‌ सर्वमिति मत्वा शमं व्रजेत्‌,'रत्नोंसे भरी हुई सारी पृथ्वी, संसारका सारा सुवर्ण, सारे पशु और सुन्दरी स्त्रियाँ किसी एक पुरुषको मिल जायँ, तो भी वे सब-के-सब उसके लिये पर्याप्त नहीं होंगे। वह और भी पाना चाहेगा। ऐसा समझकर शान्ति धारण करे--भोगेच्छाको दबा दे

Transliteration

pṛthivī ratnasampūrṇā hiraṇyaṃ paśavaḥ striyaḥ | nālam ekasya tat sarvam iti matvā śamaṃ vrajet ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: Selbst wenn ein einzelner Mann die ganze Erde, erfüllt von Juwelen, dazu Gold, Vieh und schöne Frauen, erlangte, wäre all dies ihm dennoch nicht genug — er würde nach mehr verlangen. Wer diese Wahrheit erkennt, soll in die Ruhe eingehen: den Drang nach Genuss und Erwerb zügeln.

Word by Word

[{'term''pṛthivī', 'definition': 'the earth

the world'}, {'term''ratna-sampūrṇā', 'definition': 'filled/complete with jewels (ratna = jewel

sampūrṇa = full)'}, {'term''hiraṇya', 'definition': 'gold

wealth'}, {'term''paśavaḥ', 'definition': 'cattle

animals (as wealth)'}, {'term''striyaḥ', 'definition': 'women

here, objects of sensual enjoyment'}, {'term''na alam', 'definition': 'not sufficient

not enough'}, {'term''ekasya', 'definition': 'for one (person)'}, {'term': 'tat sarvam', 'definition': 'all that (entirety of those possessions)'}, {'term': 'iti matvā', 'definition': 'having understood/thought thus'}, {'term': 'śamam', 'definition': 'calmness

self-restraint'}, {'term''vrajet', 'definition': 'should go/enter into

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

pṛthivī (earth)

ratna (jewels)

hiraṇya (gold)

paśu (cattle/animals)

striyaḥ (women)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Human desire is intrinsically insatiable: even total worldly wealth and pleasures cannot fully satisfy one person. Therefore, one should cultivate śama—inner calm and restraint—by checking the impulse to seek ever more enjoyment.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Vaiśampāyana’s discourse, a moral reflection is offered within the Adi Parva’s didactic flow: the verse generalizes about the futility of limitless acquisition and urges the listener toward tranquility and self-mastery rather than escalating craving.