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 |
释迦罗说道：“丹那婆之主啊！当成千天女在盛大会中于你面前起舞之时，那时你的心境如何——如今又如何？你曾长年沉浸于王者的福运与逸乐；当时，莲鬘为饰、金辉灿然的阿普萨罗环绕左右，你内心作何感受，而今又作何感受？”
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.