Shloka 20

Devanagari script

शोकस्थानसहस्राणि हर्षस्थानशतानि च । दिवसे दिवसे मूढमाविशन्ति न पण्डितम्‌,'शोकके सहसों स्थान हैं, हर्षके भी सैकड़ों अवसर हैं। वे प्रतिदिन मूढ़ मनुष्यपर ही प्रभाव डालते हैं, विद्वानूपर नहीं

Transliteration

śokasthāna-sahasrāṇi harṣasthāna-śatāni ca | divase divase mūḍham āviśanti na paṇḍitam ||

Translation

ശോകത്തിനായി ആയിരക്കണക്കിന് അവസരങ്ങളുണ്ട്; ഹർഷത്തിനും നൂറുകണക്കിന് അവസരങ്ങളുണ്ട്. അവ ദിനംപ്രതി മൂഢനെ പിടിച്ചുലയ്ക്കുന്നു; പണ്ഡിതനെ അല്ല.

Word by Word

शोकस्थानसहस्राणिthousands of places/causes of sorrow

हर्षस्थानशतानिhundreds of places/causes of joy

चand

दिवसेin (each) day

दिवसेin (each) day (day by day)

मूढम्a fool / the deluded person

आविशन्तिenter, affect, seize

नnot

पण्डितम्the wise person / scholar

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Life continually presents many triggers for sorrow and joy, but the ethical ideal is steadiness of mind: the wise person is not ruled by emotional fluctuations, whereas the deluded person is repeatedly overwhelmed by them.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the instruction-oriented setting of the Śānti Parva, Vyāsa delivers a reflective maxim to emphasize inner composure and discernment—contrasting the reactive nature of the foolish with the equanimity of the wise.