Shloka 40
Puṣkara-Śapatha Itihāsa (Agastya–Indra Dispute at the Tīrthas) | पुष्कर-शपथ-आख्यानम्
कश्यप उवाच यत्पृथिव्यां व्रीहियवं हिरण्यं पशव: स्त्रिय: । सर्व तन्नालमेकस्य तस्माद् विद्वान् शमं चरेत्
kaśyapa uvāca | yat pṛthivyāṁ vrīhi-yavaṁ hiraṇyaṁ paśavaḥ striyaḥ | sarvaṁ tan nālam ekasya tasmād vidvān śamaṁ caret ||
Kashyapa berkata: “Seandainya seluruh padi dan jelai di bumi ini, beserta emas, ternak, dan perempuan, jatuh ke tangan seorang saja, tetap tidak akan cukup memuaskannya. Karena itu, memahami kebenaran ini, orang bijak hendaknya menumbuhkan ketenangan batin dan mengekang dahaga hasrat.”
कश्यप उवाच
Educational Q&A
External acquisitions cannot satisfy craving; recognizing the limitless nature of desire, the wise cultivate śama—inner calm and restraint—rather than chasing ever more possessions.
Kashyapa delivers a didactic statement in the Anuśāsana Parva, using a sweeping example of worldly goods to show that even total possession would not bring satisfaction, and he urges the listener toward mental pacification and self-discipline.