Shloka 14

अध्याय २८६ — पराशर-उपदेशः

Ethical Restraint, Mortality, and Karma

Devanagari script

समाहितो न स्पृहयेत्‌ परेषां नानागतं चाभिनन्देच्च लाभम्‌ | न चापि ह्ृष्येद्‌ विपुले<र्थला भे तथार्थनाशे च न वै विषीदेत्‌

Transliteration

samāhito na spṛhayet pareṣāṃ nānāgataṃ cābhinandec ca lābham | na cāpi hṛṣyed vipule 'rthalābhe tathārthanāśe ca na vai viṣīdet ||

Translation

Celui qui demeure rassemblé au-dedans et maître de lui-même ne convoite pas le bien d’autrui, et ne se réjouit pas de gains qui ne sont pas encore venus. Il ne s’enivre pas lorsqu’il obtient de grandes richesses, et ne s’abîme pas dans le chagrin lorsque la richesse se perd. L’enseignement loue l’équanimité et l’absence d’avidité possessive comme marques de l’homme vraiment discipliné.

Word by Word

• {'samāhitaḥ': 'composed, concentrated, self-collected', 'na spṛhayet': 'should not desire, should not covet', 'pareṣām': 'of others, belonging to others', 'anāgatam': 'not yet come, future', 'abhinandet': 'should rejoice at, should welcome/celebrate', 'lābham': 'gain, acquisition', 'na hṛṣyet': 'should not exult, should not become overjoyed', 'vipule': 'abundant, great, extensive', 'artha-lābhe': 'in the gain of wealth/means', 'tathā': 'likewise, similarly', 'artha-nāśe': 'in the loss/destruction of wealth', 'na viṣīdet': 'should not be dejected, should not grieve'}

Speaker

समड़ उवाच

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The core teaching is equanimity: a disciplined person neither covets others’ possessions nor becomes emotionally dependent on wealth—remaining steady in both gain and loss.

What is happening in the narrative?

Within the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and right conduct, the speaker describes the qualities of a mature, restrained person (mahāpuruṣa): free from envy, not intoxicated by prosperity, and not crushed by misfortune.