Shloka 186
Adhyāya 223: Nāradasya Guṇa-kathana
Catalogue of Nārada’s Virtues
ज्ञातीन् विभजतो वित्त तदा55सीत् ते मन: कथम् | जिस समय तुम समुद्रके पूर्वतटपर विविध भोगोंका आस्वादन करते हुए निवास करते थे और अपने भाई-बन्धुओंको धन बाँटते थे
jñātīn vibhajato vittaṃ tadā āsīt te manaḥ katham |
Śakra dit : «Lorsque tu demeurais sur la rive orientale de l’océan, goûtant à des plaisirs variés et distribuant des richesses à tes proches, quel était alors l’état de ton esprit ? Quelle disposition intérieure te guidait lorsque tu donnais aux tiens, au sein du confort et de l’abondance ?»
शक्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse probes the ethical psychology of giving: true dāna is not only the act of distributing wealth but the inner state—whether generosity is accompanied by attachment, pride, favoritism, or instead by calmness, fairness, and dharmic intention.
Śakra (Indra) questions the interlocutor about a past period of prosperity—living by the ocean and enjoying pleasures—specifically asking what the person’s mind was like while sharing wealth with relatives, thereby testing the sincerity and dharmic quality of that generosity.