Shloka 25
Sanatsujāta-Āhvāna (Summoning Sanatsujāta) — Vidura’s Invocation and Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Doubt
गत्वोभयं कर्मणा युज्यते<स्थिरं शुभस्य पापस्य स चापि कर्मणा । धर्मेण पापं प्रणुदतीह विद्वान् धर्मो बलीयानिति तस्य सिद्धि:
gatvobhayaṁ karmaṇā yujyate 'sthiraṁ śubhasya pāpasya sa cāpi karmaṇā | dharmeṇa pāpaṁ praṇudatīha vidvān dharmo balīyān iti tasya siddhiḥ ||
Nachdem einer beide Ergebnisse erfahren hat — jene unbeständigen Früchte von Verdienst und Sünde (Himmel und Hölle) —, wird er in dieser Welt wiedergeboren und, den Ergebnissen entsprechend, erneut zum Handeln veranlasst. Doch der Weise, der das Wesen des Handelns erkennt, vertreibt frühere Sünde schon hier durch Dharma, der ohne eigennützige Absicht vollzogen wird. So ist Dharma die stärkere Macht; darum erlangen jene, die Dharma in wunschloser Gesinnung üben, gewiss zur rechten Zeit die Vollendung.
सनत्सुजात उवाच
Educational Q&A
Heaven and hell are impermanent results of merit and sin; after exhausting them one returns to worldly action. The wise person, however, uses desireless dharma to eradicate sin here and now—showing that dharma is ultimately more powerful and leads to assured attainment in time.
In the Sanatsujata discourse within the Udyoga Parva, Sanatsujata explains to his listener that ordinary beings cycle through the fruits of karma (including heaven/hell) and return to rebirth, whereas the knower practices dharma without selfish desire to overcome prior sin and progress toward true success.