Shloka 22
Śāṇḍilī–Sumanā-saṃvāda: Sat-strī-samudācāra and Pati-dharma
Conduct of the Virtuous Wife
सुखादेव परं दुःखं दुःखादप्यपरं सुखम् । दृश्यते हि महाप्राज्ञ नियतं वै स्वभावत:
sukhād eva paraṃ duḥkhaṃ duḥkhād apy aparaṃ sukham | dṛśyate hi mahāprājña niyataṃ vai svabhāvataḥ ||
Wahai yang amat bijaksana, dari kenikmatan sendiri timbul duka yang lebih besar; dan dari duka pun timbul kebahagiaan berikutnya—demikianlah terlihat. Menurut kodrat, pergiliran ini seakan telah ditetapkan. Mereka yang melekat pada kenikmatan indria jatuh dari nikmat ke derita yang berat; sedangkan mereka yang menanggung kesukaran melalui tapa dan disiplin terlihat meraih kebahagiaan justru dari kesukaran itu.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Pleasure and pain are interlinked: attachment to sense-pleasures tends to culminate in suffering, while disciplined endurance of hardship (tapas, restraint) can mature into lasting well-being. The verse frames this as a regular pattern rooted in human nature (svabhāva).
In Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction-focused discourse, Vyāsa addresses a ‘greatly wise’ listener and states an observed moral-psychological principle: the pursuit of indulgent pleasure often reverses into misery, whereas voluntary hardship undertaken for discipline and virtue can yield happiness.