Shloka 6
Udyoga Parva Adhyāya 92: Kṛṣṇasya sabhāpraveśaḥ
Krishna’s Entry into the Royal Assembly
धर्मकार्य यतज्छक्त्या नो चेत् प्राप्रोति मानव: । प्राप्तो भवति तत् पुण्यमत्र मे नास्ति संशय:
Vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca: dharmakārye yataś chaktyā no cet prāpnoti mānavaḥ | prāpto bhavati tat puṇyam atra me nāsti saṃśayaḥ ||
Dijo Vaiśaṃpāyana: Si una persona, esforzándose hasta donde alcanza su capacidad en una empresa conforme al dharma, no logra el éxito, aun así el mérito de ese esfuerzo ciertamente se le acumula. De esto no tengo duda.
(वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Merit (puṇya) arises from sincere effort in dharma performed according to one’s capacity (śaktyā), even if the intended result is not achieved; ethical worth is grounded in right striving, not merely in success.
In the Udyoga Parva’s counsel-oriented context, Vaiśaṃpāyana states a general principle about dharmic action: when someone attempts a righteous duty with full effort but fails due to circumstances, the moral and spiritual credit of the attempt still accrues.