Shloka 23

Devanagari script

न हृष्यत्यर्थलाभेषु नालाभे तु व्यथत्यपि । स्थिरबुद्धिरसक्तात्मा तस्मातू्‌ सर्वत्र पूजित:,वे धनका लाभ होनेसे प्रसन्न नहीं होते और उसके न मिलनेसे उन्हें दुःख भी नहीं होता है। उनकी बुद्धि स्थिर और मन आसक्तिरहित है; इसीलिये वे सर्वत्र पूजित हुए हैं

Transliteration

na hṛṣyaty artha-lābheṣu nālābhe tu vyathaty api | sthira-buddhir asaktātmā tasmāt sarvatra pūjitaḥ ||

Translation

Vāyu-deva disse: O sábio não se exulta com os ganhos, nem se aflige mesmo quando não há ganho. Seu entendimento permanece firme e seu íntimo está livre de apego; por isso é honrado em toda parte.

Word by Word

नnot

हृष्यतिrejoices

अर्थ-लाभेषुin gains of wealth/objects

नnor/not

अलाभेin non-attainment/lack of gain

तुbut/indeed

व्यथतिis distressed

अपिeven/also

स्थिर-बुद्धिःone of steady intellect

असक्त-आत्माone whose self/mind is unattached

तस्मात्therefore/from that reason

सर्वत्रeverywhere

पूजितःhonored/worshipped

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vāyu-deva

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?

True steadiness is shown by remaining even-minded in profit and loss. One who neither exults at gain nor grieves at non-gain, and whose mind is unattached, becomes worthy of respect everywhere.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction-focused setting, Vāyu-deva speaks a didactic verse praising the qualities of a disciplined, detached person—using the contrast of gain versus non-gain to define inner stability and the social reverence it naturally attracts.