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 |
ສັກຣະກ່າວວ່າ: «ໂອ ຈອມເຈົ້າແຫ່ງດານະວະ! ເມື່ອນາງຟ້າທັງຫຼາຍນັບພັນ ເຕັ້ນລຳຢູ່ຕໍ່ໜ້າເຈົ້າໃນທີ່ຊຸມນຸມໃຫຍ່ໆ ໃນຄາວນັ້ນ ໃຈຂອງເຈົ້າເປັນແນວໃດ—ແລະບັດນີ້ເປັນແນວໃດ? ເຈົ້າເຄີຍໃຊ້ການເວລາອັນຍາວນານ ໃນສິຣິລາດຊະສົມບັດແລະຄວາມສຳລານ; ໃນວັນເວລານັ້ນ ຖືກຫ້ອມລ້ອມດ້ວຍອັບສະຣາທີ່ສ່ອງປະກາຍດັ່ງຄຳ ແລະປະດັບດ້ວຍພວງດອກບົວ—ໃນໃຈເຈົ້າຮູ້ສຶກແນວໃດ ແລະບັດນີ້ຮູ້ສຶກແນວໃດ?»
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.