Shloka 42
नरनारायण-नारदसंवादः
Nara-Nārāyaṇa–Nārada Discourse on Vision, Elements, and Entry into Vāsudeva
सर्वेषामृद्धिकामानामन्ये रथपुर:सरा: । मनुष्याश्ष गतस्त्रीका: शतशो विविधस्त्रिय:,सभी मनुष्य धन और समृद्धि चाहते हैं; परंतु उनमेंसे थोड़े-से ही ऐसे लोग होते हैं, जो रथपर चढ़कर चलते हैं। कितने ही पुरुष स्त्रीरहित हैं और सैकड़ों मनुष्य कई स्त्रियोंवाले हैं
sarveṣām ṛddhi-kāmānām anye ratha-puraḥsarāḥ | manuṣyāś ca gata-strīkāḥ śataśo vividha-striyaḥ ||
Nārada sprach: „Alle begehren Reichtum und Wohlstand; doch nur wenige bewegen sich an der Spitze, auf Wagen fahrend. Viele Männer leben ohne Frau, während Hunderte viele Frauen verschiedenster Art haben.“
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the uneven distribution of worldly fortunes: although everyone seeks prosperity, only a few attain visible status and privilege, and even domestic life (marriage) is not uniformly available—some lack it while others possess it in excess. It implicitly urges reflection on desire, contentment, and the ethical use of prosperity.
Nārada is speaking in the Śānti Parva’s didactic setting, offering an observation about human society: universal longing for wealth contrasts with the reality that only a minority enjoy elite comforts (symbolized by chariots), while marital circumstances vary widely from deprivation to abundance.