Shloka 24
Kurukṣetra–Samantapañcaka Māhātmya: King Kuru’s Ploughing and Indra’s Boon (प्रजापतेरुत्तरवेदिः समन्तपञ्चकं)
समयेन तपोडर्ध च कृच्छात् प्रतिगृहीतवान् | साधयित्वा तदा5>त्मानं तस्या: स गतिमन्वियात्
samayena tapo 'rdhaṃ ca kṛcchrāt pratigṛhītavān | sādhayitvā tadātmānaṃ tasyāḥ sa gatim anviyāt ||
Vaiśampāyana sprach: Zur rechten Zeit, und nur unter Mühen, nahm er die Hälfte der Askese (tapas) an, die ihm zustand. Dann, nachdem er sich gezügelt und vollendet hatte, folgte er ihrem Weg—und erreichte dasselbe Ziel wie sie. Die Stelle betont, dass geistiges Verdienst nicht leichtfertig an sich gerissen wird: Es wird nach rechter Zeit und rechter Anstrengung empfangen, und wahre Vollendung verlangt innere Selbstmeisterung statt bloßer Anspruchshaltung.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Merit and spiritual progress are gained in the right time and through genuine effort; even when a share of austerity is received, the decisive factor is self-perfection—disciplining oneself—after which one can attain the same destined state.
The narrator states that a person, after a period of time and with difficulty, receives half of an austerity/merit, and then—having completed inner discipline—follows 'her' destiny, i.e., reaches the same course or final state as that woman.