Shloka 13
Atithi-prāpti and the Brāhmaṇa’s Deliberation on Triadic Dharma (अतिथिप्राप्तिः धर्मत्रयविचारश्च)
स्मृत्वा कालपरीमाण् प्रवृत्ति ये समास्थिता: । दोष: कालपरीमाणे महानेष क्रियावताम्
Janamejaya uvāca: smṛtvā kālaparimāṇaṁ pravṛtti ye samāsthitāḥ | doṣaḥ kālaparimāṇe mahān eṣa kriyāvatām ||
Janamejaya said: Those who, keeping in mind a fixed measure of time, take their stand on the path of outward action (pravṛtti)—aiming at time-bound results such as heaven—face a great defect: for the action-oriented, the fruit of their deeds remains confined within the limits of time, and is therefore finite and exhaustible.
जनमेजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Actions pursued for time-limited rewards (like heaven) yield results that are themselves limited by time; this finitude is presented as a major flaw for those devoted to result-oriented activity.
Janamejaya raises a reflective point about the limitation inherent in the pravṛtti-oriented pursuit of ritual and worldly merit: its fruits are enjoyed only within temporal bounds and therefore do not constitute an ultimate good.