Shloka 19

अध्याय ३३१: नारायणकथा-प्रशंसा तथा नारदस्य श्वेतद्वीप-निवृत्ति एवं बदरी-आगमनम् | Chapter 331: Praise of the Nārāyaṇa Narrative; Nārada’s Return from Śvetadvīpa and Arrival at Badarī

Devanagari script

अन्यामन्यां धनावस्थां प्राप्य वैशेषिकीं नसः । अतृप्ता यान्ति विध्वंसं संतोष यान्ति पण्डिता:

Transliteration

anyām anyāṁ dhanāvasthāṁ prāpya vaiśeṣikīṁ naraḥ | atṛptā yānti vidhvaṁsaṁ santoṣaṁ yānti paṇḍitāḥ ||

Translation

ಮನುಷ್ಯರು ಧನವನ್ನು ಸಂಗ್ರಹಿಸುತ್ತಾ ಇನ್ನೂ ಉನ್ನತವಾದ, ವಿಶಿಷ್ಟವಾದ ಸಂಪತ್ತಿನ ಸ್ಥಿತಿಯನ್ನು ಪಡೆದರೂ ತೃಪ್ತರಾಗುವುದಿಲ್ಲ; ಇನ್ನಷ್ಟು ಬೇಕೆಂಬ ಆಸೆಯಿಂದಲೇ ಅವರು ಅಂತಿಮವಾಗಿ ವಿನಾಶಕ್ಕೆ ಹೋಗುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಆದರೆ ಪಂಡಿತರು ಸಂತೋಷವನ್ನು ಪಡೆಯುತ್ತಾರೆ—ಧನತೃಷ್ಣೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಬೀಳುವುದಿಲ್ಲ.

Word by Word

• {'anyām anyām': 'again and again

• one after another (successively higher)', 'dhana-avasthām': 'state/condition of wealth

• level of prosperity', 'prāpya': 'having obtained

• after reaching', 'vaiśeṣikīm': 'distinctive, special, exceptional (of a higher kind)', 'naraḥ': 'a man

• people (in general)', 'atṛptāḥ': 'unsatisfied

• unfulfilled', 'yānti': 'go

• come to', 'vidhvaṁsam': 'destruction

• collapse', 'santoṣam': 'contentment

• satisfaction', 'paṇḍitāḥ': 'the wise

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Accumulating higher and higher wealth does not end craving; dissatisfaction leads to downfall, while the wise cultivate santoṣa (contentment) and avoid the destructive cycle of greed.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and right living, Nārada delivers a moral observation: ordinary people remain restless even after gaining prosperity, whereas paṇḍitas are marked by inner satisfaction rather than endless acquisition.