Shloka 38
Omens and Consolation after Loss; Reaffirmation of the Saindhava Punishment Vow (उत्पात-दर्शनम्, आश्वासन-वाक्यानि, प्रतिज्ञा-स्थैर्यम्)
लोभ: क्रोधो<भ्यसूयेष्या द्रोहो मोहश्न देहिनाम्
lobhaḥ krodho 'bhyasūyeṣyā droho mohaś ca dehinām
Nārada dit : «La cupidité, la colère, l’envie maligne, la perfidie et l’illusion : tels sont les défauts qui surgissent communément chez les êtres incarnés.»
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse identifies key inner vices—greed, anger, envy/jealousy, treachery, and delusion—as common afflictions of embodied life. It implies that ethical failure and social ruin often begin with these mental states, so self-restraint and clarity are essential to dharma.
Nārada is speaking in a didactic mode, listing the principal moral faults that beset living beings. The statement functions as counsel within the broader war-time discourse of the Drona Parva, explaining the psychological roots that lead people into destructive choices.