Shloka 46
ब्राह्मणानुयात्रा—शौनकोपदेशः
Brāhmaṇas Follow into Exile and Śaunaka’s Instruction
अन्तो नास्ति पिपासाया: संतोष: परमं सुखम् | तस्मात् संतोषमेवेह परं पश्यन्ति पण्डिता:,“धनकी प्यास कभी बुझती नहीं है; अतः संतोष ही परम सुख है। इसीलिये ज्ञानीजन संतोषको ही सबसे उत्तम समझते हैं
anto nāsti pipāsāyāḥ, santoṣaḥ paramaṃ sukham | tasmāt santoṣam eveha paraṃ paśyanti paṇḍitāḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “There is no end to craving; contentment alone is the highest happiness. Therefore, in this world, the wise regard contentment as the supreme good.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Desire (pipāsā) is inherently without a final endpoint; it keeps expanding. Contentment (santoṣa) is therefore praised as the most reliable and highest form of happiness, because it depends on inner discipline rather than external accumulation.
In Vaiśampāyana’s narration within the Vana Parva context, a moral reflection is offered: amid the trials faced by the characters, the text underscores that chasing wealth or gratification cannot guarantee peace, whereas cultivating contentment is presented as the wise response to suffering and uncertainty.