Mahabharata — Shanti Parva, Shloka 29
अव्यक्त-मानस-सृष्टिवादः
Doctrine of Creation from the Unmanifest ‘Mānasa’
नाल॑ सुखाय सुहृदो नाल॑ दुःखाय शत्रव: । न च प्रज्ञालमर्थानां न सुखानामलं धनम्
nālaṁ sukhāya suhṛdo nālaṁ duḥkhāya śatravaḥ | na ca prajñālam arthānāṁ na sukhānām alaṁ dhanam ||
Le brahmane dit : Les amis ne suffisent pas à garantir le bonheur, pas plus que les ennemis ne suffisent à causer le malheur. L’intelligence seule ne suffit pas à assurer les fins mondaines, et la richesse seule ne suffit pas à assurer la joie.
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
No single external factor—friends, enemies, intelligence, or wealth—fully determines happiness or suffering. The verse cautions against overreliance on any one support and implies that balanced discernment and dharmic conduct are necessary for true well-being.
In the didactic setting of the Śānti Parva, a Brahmin speaker delivers reflective instruction on the causes of happiness and sorrow, emphasizing that common assumptions (friends bring happiness, enemies bring misery, intelligence brings success, wealth brings pleasure) are incomplete and should be understood with nuance.