Shloka 2
अध्याय ३३१: नारायणकथा-प्रशंसा तथा नारदस्य श्वेतद्वीप-निवृत्ति एवं बदरी-आगमनम् | Chapter 331: Praise of the Nārāyaṇa Narrative; Nārada’s Return from Śvetadvīpa and Arrival at Badarī
शोकस्थानसहस्राणि भयस्थानशतानि च । दिवसे दिवसे मूढमाविशन्ति न पण्डितम्,शोकके सहस्रों और भयके सैकड़ों स्थान हैं, जो प्रतिदिन मूढ़ पुरुषोंपर ही अपना प्रभाव डालते हैं, विद्वानूपर नहीं
śokasthānasahasrāṇi bhayasthānaśatāni ca | divase divase mūḍham āviśanti na paṇḍitam ||
Nārada said: “There are thousands of occasions for grief and hundreds of occasions for fear. Day after day they seize the deluded person, but they do not overpower the wise.”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
Life presents countless triggers for sorrow and fear, but their power depends on one’s discernment. The deluded mind is repeatedly seized by these emotions, whereas the wise person—through understanding, steadiness, and right judgment—does not become overwhelmed.
In the didactic setting of the Śānti Parva, Nārada delivers an instruction on inner resilience: he contrasts the daily mental experience of the mūḍha (undiscerning person) with that of the paṇḍita (wise person), emphasizing mastery over grief and fear.