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 |
釈迦羅は言った。「ダーナヴァの王よ！ 幾千もの天女が大集会において汝の前で舞ったとき、その時の汝の心はどのようであったか――そして今はどうか。汝はかつて王者の福運と歓楽に輝き、長き歳月を遊楽に費やした。蓮の花輪をまとい、黄金の光を放つアプサラスに囲まれていたその日々、汝は内奥で何を感じ、今は何を感じているのか。」
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.