Shloka 37
अव्यक्त-मानस-सृष्टिवादः
Doctrine of Creation from the Unmanifest ‘Mānasa’
नित्यं प्रमुदिता मूढा दिवि देवगणा इव । अवलेपेन महता परिभूत्या विचेतस:
nityaṁ pramuditā mūḍhā divi devagaṇā iva | avalepena mahatā paribhūtyā vicetasaḥ ||
Le brahmane dit : «Toujours réjouis et pourtant abusés, ils se conduisent comme les cohortes des dieux au ciel—mais seulement en apparence. Par une grande arrogance et l’habitude de rabaisser autrui, leur esprit devient instable et sans discernement.»
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
Joy or prosperity without discernment can turn into delusion; arrogance and contempt for others destabilize the mind and lead one away from dharma. The verse warns that outward ‘heaven-like’ ease can mask inner moral decline when pride dominates.
In Śānti Parva’s instructional setting, a Brahmin speaker is describing a type of person (or group) who remains constantly pleased yet foolish, comparing them to heavenly beings in demeanor, while emphasizing that their arrogance and disparagement of others make them mentally confused.