Shloka 103
यत्र धर्मपरो वृद्धः शेते भुवि भवानिह । “निश्चय ही इस लोकमें कोई भी अपने पुण्यकर्मोंका फल यहाँ नहीं भोगता है; क्योंकि आप वृद्धावस्थातक सदा धर्ममें ही तत्पर रहे हैं, तो भी यहाँ इस दशामें धरतीपर सो रहे हैं
yatra dharmaparo vṛddhaḥ śete bhuvi bhavāniha |
Sañjaya said: “Here lies an aged man devoted to dharma, stretched upon the bare earth. It seems as though in this world no one truly enjoys the fruits of their meritorious deeds right here—for even one who has remained steadfast in righteousness up to old age is now reduced to lying on the ground in such a condition.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse reflects on the apparent mismatch between dharma and immediate worldly outcomes: even a lifelong righteous elder may suffer, suggesting that the fruits of merit are not necessarily experienced promptly or visibly in this life.
Sañjaya, narrating events to the listener, points to an aged, dharma-minded person lying on the ground and uses the scene to voice a somber ethical observation about suffering amid the turmoil of war.