Shloka 37
Vidyā–Avidyā and the Twenty-Fifth Principle
Sāṃkhya–Yoga Clarification
क्रियमाणं यदा कर्म नाशं गच्छति मानुषम् । तेषां नान्यदृते लोके तपस: कर्म विद्यते
kriyamāṇaṃ yadā karma nāśaṃ gacchati mānuṣam | teṣāṃ nānyadṛte loke tapasaḥ karma vidyate ||
Dijo Parāśara: Cuando las acciones del ser humano, aun mientras se realizan, acaban por perecer y no dejan fruto duradero, una conclusión resalta: para tales personas, en este mundo no hay obra verdaderamente perdurable y purificadora fuera de la austeridad (tapas). La enseñanza es ética y práctica: los empeños mundanos son frágiles y a menudo fracasan; sólo la disciplina interior permanece como medio fiable de elevación.
पराशर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Worldly actions are unstable and can become fruitless; therefore, disciplined austerity (tapas)—self-restraint, inner purification, and sustained spiritual effort—is presented as the most dependable ‘good action’ for those whose ordinary karmas do not endure or do not lead to higher realization.
In Śānti Parva’s instructional discourse, the sage Parāśara is teaching a reflective, renunciatory ethic: he contrasts perishable worldly activity with the lasting value of tapas, guiding the listener toward inner discipline as the secure path when external achievements fail.