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 |
Śakra berkata: “Wahai tuan para Dānava! Ketika ribuan wanita syurga menari di hadapanmu dalam perhimpunan besar, bagaimana keadaan hatimu pada waktu itu—dan bagaimana pula sekarang? Dahulu engkau menghabiskan tahun-tahun yang panjang dalam tuah kerajaan dan kenikmatan; ketika itu, dikelilingi apsara yang bersinar laksana emas, berhias kalung teratai, apakah yang engkau rasakan di dalam—dan apakah yang engkau rasakan kini?”
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.