Shloka 4
यदि यत्नो भवेन्मर्त्य: स सर्व फलमाप्नुयात् नालभ्यं चोपलभ्येत नृणां भरतसत्तम
yadi yatno bhaven martyaḥ sa sarva-phalam āpnuyāt | nālabhyaṃ copalabhyeta nṛṇāṃ bharata-sattama || bharata-bhūṣaṇa |
Dijo Yudhiṣṭhira: «Si el mero esfuerzo humano fuese siempre decisivo, el hombre obtendría inevitablemente todo fruto. Pero, oh el mejor de los Bharata, aquello que por fuerza del destino es inalcanzable para un hombre no se vuelve alcanzable ni con el empeño más arduo.»
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse contrasts human effort (yatna) with destiny (what is alabhya due to prārabdha/daiva): effort is necessary, but it is not omnipotent—some outcomes remain unattainable despite striving, so one should act rightly without assuming guaranteed results.
Yudhiṣṭhira addresses a revered Bharata elder, reflecting on the limits of personal endeavor and the role of destiny, as part of the Anuśāsana Parva’s broader ethical instruction on conduct, responsibility, and acceptance of outcomes.