Shloka 23
कर्म–ज्ञान–दैव–स्वभावविचारः
Inquiry into Karma, Knowledge, Fate, and Nature
न हृष्यत्यर्थलाभेषु नालाभे तु व्यथत्यपि । स्थिरबुद्धिरसक्तात्मा तस्मातू् सर्वत्र पूजित:
na hṛṣyaty artha-lābheṣu nālābhe tu vyathaty api | sthira-buddhir asaktātmā tasmāt sarvatra pūjitaḥ ||
Vāyu-deva said: The wise person does not exult when gains come, nor is he distressed even when there is no gain. His understanding remains steady and his inner self is free from attachment; therefore he is honored everywhere.
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
True steadiness is shown by remaining even-minded in profit and loss. One who neither exults at gain nor grieves at non-gain, and whose mind is unattached, becomes worthy of respect everywhere.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction-focused setting, Vāyu-deva speaks a didactic verse praising the qualities of a disciplined, detached person—using the contrast of gain versus non-gain to define inner stability and the social reverence it naturally attracts.