Shloka 5
Dharma-śaṅkā-nivāraṇa: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Response on Karma-Phala and Trust in Dharma
जड़मेषु विशेषेण मनुष्या भरतर्षभ । इच्छन्ति कर्मणा वृत्तिमवाप्तु प्रेत्य चेह च,भरतश्रेष्ठ! जंगम जीवोंमें विशेषरूपसे मनुष्य कर्मके द्वारा ही हहलोक और परलोकमें जीविका प्राप्त करना चाहते हैं
jaḍameṣu viśeṣeṇa manuṣyā bharatarṣabha | icchanti karmaṇā vṛttim avāptuṁ pretya ceha ca ||
Yudhiṣṭhira said: “O bull among the Bharatas, among all beings—especially those that are inert—humans uniquely seek to secure their livelihood through action (karma), both here in this world and after death in the next.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Human beings are distinguished by deliberate agency: they consciously rely on karma (intentional action) to sustain life and to shape outcomes not only in this world but also in the hereafter, implying moral responsibility for one’s deeds.
Yudhiṣṭhira addresses a Bharata noble (honorifically ‘bharatarṣabha’) and reflects on the human condition—how people pursue sustenance and future welfare through action—setting an ethical frame for the surrounding discussion on conduct and duty.