Shloka 23

Devanagari script

असंतोषस्य नास्त्यन्तस्तुष्टिस्तु परमं सुखम्‌ । न शोचन्ति गताध्वान: पश्यन्त: परमां गतिम्‌

Transliteration

asaṃtoṣasya nāsty antaḥ tuṣṭis tu paramaṃ sukham | na śocanti gatādhvānaḥ paśyantaḥ paramāṃ gatim ||

Translation

ಅಸಂತೋಷಕ್ಕೆ ಅಂತ್ಯವಿಲ್ಲ; ಆದರೆ ತೃಪ್ತಿಯೇ ಪರಮ ಸುಖ. ಜೀವನಯಾತ್ರೆಯನ್ನು ಮುಗಿಸಿ ಪರಮ ಗತಿಯನ್ನು ಕಂಡವರು ಶೋಕಿಸುವುದಿಲ್ಲ.

Word by Word

असंतोषस्यof discontent

नnot

अस्तिthere is

अन्तःend, limit

तुष्टिःcontentment

तुbut, however

परमम्supreme, highest

सुखम्happiness

नnot

शोचन्तिthey grieve

गताध्वानःthose who have gone the path (i.e., who have completed the journey)

पश्यन्तःseeing

परमाम्supreme

गतिम्goal, destination

Speaker

व्याध उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyādha (the hunter)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Endless craving (asaṃtoṣa) cannot be satisfied, so it perpetuates suffering; contentment (tuṣṭi) is presented as the highest happiness. The verse also links freedom from grief to spiritual vision: one who has ‘completed the journey’ and perceives the supreme goal (paramā gati) is not shaken by sorrow.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Vana Parva, the hunter (Vyādha) is speaking as a moral instructor. He offers a concise dharmic reflection to his listener, contrasting insatiable dissatisfaction with the peace of contentment and describing the ungrieving steadiness of those oriented toward the highest end.