Shloka 40
Puṣkara-Śapatha Itihāsa (Agastya–Indra Dispute at the Tīrthas) | पुष्कर-शपथ-आख्यानम्
कश्यप उवाच यत्पृथिव्यां व्रीहियवं हिरण्यं पशव: स्त्रिय: । सर्व तन्नालमेकस्य तस्माद् विद्वान् शमं चरेत्,कश्यपने कहा--इस पृथ्वीपर जितने धान, जौ, सुवर्ण, पशु और स्त्रियाँ हैं, वे सब किसी एक पुरुषको मिल जायाँ तो भी उसे संतोष न होगा; यह सोचकर दविद्वान् पुरुष अपने मनकी तृष्णाको शान्त करे
kaśyapa uvāca | yat pṛthivyāṁ vrīhi-yavaṁ hiraṇyaṁ paśavaḥ striyaḥ | sarvaṁ tan nālam ekasya tasmād vidvān śamaṁ caret ||
Kashyapa said: Even if all the rice and barley on this earth, along with gold, cattle, and women, were to come into the possession of a single man, it still would not be enough to satisfy him. Therefore, understanding this truth, a wise person should cultivate inner calm and restrain the mind’s craving.
कश्यप उवाच
Educational Q&A
External acquisitions cannot satisfy craving; recognizing the limitless nature of desire, the wise cultivate śama—inner calm and restraint—rather than chasing ever more possessions.
Kashyapa delivers a didactic statement in the Anuśāsana Parva, using a sweeping example of worldly goods to show that even total possession would not bring satisfaction, and he urges the listener toward mental pacification and self-discipline.