Shloka 23
राजधर्मः—राष्ट्ररक्षणं, दण्डनीतिः, हयग्रीवोपाख्यानम्
Royal Duty: Protection, Penal Policy, and the Hayagrīva Exemplum
सुखस्यानन्तरं दुःखं दुःखस्यानन्तरं सुखम् | न नित्यं लभते दुःखं न नित्यं लभते सुखम्,“सुखके बाद दुःख और दुःखके बाद सुख आता है। कोई भी न तो सदा दुःख पाता है और न निरन्तर सुख ही प्राप्त करता है
sukhasyānantaraṃ duḥkhaṃ duḥkhasyānantaraṃ sukham | na nityaṃ labhate duḥkhaṃ na nityaṃ labhate sukham ||
سکھ کے بعد دکھ آتا ہے اور دکھ کے بعد سکھ۔ نہ کوئی ہمیشہ دکھ پاتا ہے، نہ کوئی لگاتار سکھ ہی حاصل کرتا ہے۔
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Worldly experience alternates between sukha (happiness) and duḥkha (sorrow); since neither lasts forever, one should cultivate steadiness and avoid despair in hardship or arrogance in prosperity.
In the instruction-oriented setting of the Śānti Parva, Vyāsa delivers a reflective maxim to guide conduct and mental balance, emphasizing that changing fortunes are natural and should be met with composure.