Shloka 40
नरनारायण-नारदसंवादः
Nara-Nārāyaṇa–Nārada Discourse on Vision, Elements, and Entry into Vāsudeva
प्रमादरहित पराक्रमी शूरवीर भी ऐश्वर्य तथा मदिराके मदसे उन्मत्त रहनेवाले शठ मनुष्योंकी सेवा करते हैं ।। क्लेशा: परिनिवर्तन्ते केषाज्चिदसमीक्षिता: । स्वं स्वं च पुनरन्येषां न किंचिदधिगम्यते,कितने ही लोगोंके क्लेश ध्यान दिये बिना ही निवृत्त हो जाते हैं तथा दूसरोंको अपने ही धनमेंसे समयपर कुछ भी नहीं मिलता
pramāda-rahitaḥ parākramī śūra-vīraḥ api aiśvarya-tathā madirā-mada-se unmattān śaṭha-manuṣyānāṃ sevāṃ kurvanti. kleśāḥ parinivartante keṣāñcid asamīkṣitāḥ; svaṃ svaṃ ca punar anyeṣāṃ na kiñcid adhigamyate.
Nārada disse: “Até mesmo heróis vigilantes e valentes—homens de grande vigor—por vezes acabam servindo pessoas enganosas, embriagadas de poder e riqueza, e enlouquecidas pela bebida. E no mundo, as aflições de alguns cessam sem que ninguém sequer as note; enquanto outros nada recebem no tempo devido, nem mesmo do que por direito lhes pertence, porque seus recursos são desviados para outrem.”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse warns that even capable and disciplined people can become entangled in serving deceitful, power-intoxicated persons; it also highlights the uneven workings of worldly fortune—some sufferings end unnoticed, while others fail to receive even their rightful share. The ethical thrust is to be discerning in whom one serves and to recognize how pride, wealth, and intoxication distort relationships and justice.
In the Śānti Parva’s didactic setting, Nārada is speaking in a reflective, advisory mode. He comments on social and moral realities: the paradox of heroes serving unworthy masters and the unpredictable cessation of troubles, alongside the frustration that people may not obtain their own due because resources and attention are misdirected.