Shloka 6
न बुद्धिशास्त्राध्ययनेन शक्यं प्राप्तुं विशेष॑ मनुजैरकाले । मूर्खोडपि चाप्रोति कदाचिदर्थान् कालो हि कार्य प्रति निर्विशेष:,बुद्धि अथवा शास्त्राध्ययनसे भी मनुष्य असमयमें किसी विशेष वस्तुको नहीं पा सकता और समय आनेपर कभी-कभी मूर्ख भी अभीष्ट पदार्थोंको प्राप्त कर लेता है; अतः काल ही कार्यकी सिद्धिमें सामान्य कारण है
na buddhiśāstrādhyayanena śakyaṃ prāptuṃ viśeṣaṃ manujair akāle | mūrkho 'pi cāprōti kadācid arthān kālo hi kāryaṃ prati nirviśeṣaḥ ||
Vyāsa said: “By intelligence or by the study of treatises, human beings cannot obtain a particular result before its proper time. Yet, when the time arrives, even a fool may sometimes gain the desired ends. Therefore, it is Time that stands as the common determining cause in the accomplishment of actions.”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that learning and intelligence alone cannot force results prematurely; outcomes ripen according to time. When the proper time comes, success may occur even without great skill, showing that Kāla (Time) functions as a general, decisive factor in the fruition of actions.
In the didactic setting of the Śānti Parva, Vyāsa states a reflective principle about causality: human effort and study have limits, and the maturation of results depends on the right time. The statement supports a broader ethical counsel toward patience, realism, and humility regarding achievement.