Shloka 6
युधिष्ठिरने कहा--पितामह! भाग्यहीन मनुष्य बलवान हो तो भी उसे धन नहीं मिलता और जो भाग्यवान् है
Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca—akāryam asakṛt kṛtvā dṛśyante hy arthanā narāḥ | dhanayuktāḥ svakarmasthā dṛśyante cāpare ’rthanāḥ ||
Yudhiṣṭhira said: “O Grandfather, we see many men who, though repeatedly committing wrongful acts, still remain without wealth. And we also see others who, established in their own proper duties, possess wealth—while some, even so, remain poor. What, then, governs the gaining of prosperity: fate, conduct, or something else?”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a moral problem: material outcomes (wealth/poverty) do not always visibly align with ethical behavior. It pushes the inquiry toward a deeper understanding of karma, time, and destiny, and cautions against judging righteousness solely by prosperity.
In the Anuśāsana Parva dialogue, Yudhiṣṭhira questions Bhīṣma about the apparent mismatch between conduct and reward—observing that some who do wrong remain poor, while some who follow their duties are wealthy (and some still poor). He seeks an explanation of what truly governs fortune.