Shloka 19
Adhyāya 223: Nāradasya Guṇa-kathana
Catalogue of Nārada’s Virtues
यत् ते सहस्रसमिता ननुृतुर्देवयोषित:
śakra uvāca | yat te sahasra-samitā nanṛtur deva-yoṣitaḥ, katham adya tadā caiva manas te dānaveśvara |
Śakra dit : «Quand des milliers de femmes célestes dansaient devant toi en de grandes assemblées, ô seigneur des Dānavas, quel était alors l’état de ton esprit — et quel est-il à présent ? Jadis tu passas de longues années à jouir de la fortune royale et des plaisirs ; en ces jours-là, entouré d’apsaras au rayonnement d’or, parées de guirlandes de lotus, que ressentais-tu au fond de toi, et que ressens-tu maintenant ?»
शक्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse probes the contrast between outward prosperity and the inner condition of the mind, highlighting an ethical reflection central to Śānti Parva: pleasure, power, and sensory delight are unstable, so one should examine whether the mind was truly satisfied then and what has changed now—pointing toward detachment and self-knowledge.
Indra (Śakra) addresses a Dānava king and recalls his former period of royal enjoyment, when thousands of celestial dancers performed before him. Indra asks a pointed question about the Dānava’s mental state in that time of abundance versus his present condition, setting up a reflective dialogue on desire, change, and inner peace.