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 disse: “Quando milhares de mulheres celestes dançavam diante de ti em grandes assembleias, ó senhor dos Dānavas, qual era então o estado da tua mente — e qual é agora? Outrora passaste longos anos desfrutando da fortuna régia e do prazer; naqueles dias, cercado por apsaras de brilho dourado, ornadas com grinaldas de lótus, como te sentias por dentro, e como te sentes no presente?”
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.