Shloka 2
7 नालाभकाले लभते प्रयत्नेडपि कृते सति । लाभकाले<प्रयत्नेन लभते विपुलं धनम्
nālābhakāle labhate prayatnenāpi kṛte sati | lābhakāle prayatnena labhate vipulaṃ dhanam ||
Yudhiṣṭhira said: When the time for gain has not yet arrived, even sustained effort yields no result. But when the season of gain comes, a person obtains abundant wealth—sometimes even with little effort—because destiny and timing ripen the outcome.
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches the interplay of human effort (prayatna) and the ripening of time/destiny (kāla): effort alone may not yield results before conditions mature, while when the proper time arrives, gains can come swiftly and abundantly. Ethically, it encourages perseverance without despair and humility in success.
In Anuśāsana Parva’s didactic setting, Yudhiṣṭhira voices a reflective maxim about prosperity: he observes that outcomes depend not only on exertion but also on the destined moment of fruition, framing a moral discussion on wealth, conduct, and the limits of control.