Shloka 4
असंतोषादिदोष-निरूपणम्
On the Faults of Discontent and the Discipline of Detachment
नाह्वा पूरयितुं शक््यां न मासैर्भरतर्षभ । अपूर्या पूरयन्निच्छामायुषापि न शकनुयात्
nāhvā pūrayituṁ śakyāṁ na māsair bharatarṣabha | apūryā pūrayann icchām āyuṣāpi na śaknuyāt, bharataśreṣṭha ||
Yudhiṣṭhira said: “O bull among the Bharatas, this longing cannot be fulfilled—not in a single day, nor even in many months. Indeed, even if one were to strive for an entire lifetime, the attempt to satisfy such an unfillable desire would still not succeed, O best of the Bharatas.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Some desires are intrinsically insatiable; trying to ‘complete’ them through time and effort only extends dissatisfaction. Ethical life therefore requires discernment and restraint—redirecting the mind from endless craving toward dharma and inner steadiness.
In the reflective, instruction-oriented setting of Śānti Parva, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses a Bharata elder/peer with a sober observation: the particular wish under discussion is of a kind that cannot be brought to completion, even with prolonged effort, underscoring the futility of pursuing limitless craving.