Shloka 2
7 नालाभकाले लभते प्रयत्नेडपि कृते सति । लाभकाले<प्रयत्नेन लभते विपुलं धनम्
nālābhakāle labhate prayatnenāpi kṛte sati | lābhakāle prayatnena labhate vipulaṃ dhanam ||
Yudhiṣṭhira dit : Quand l’heure du gain n’est pas encore venue, même l’effort persévérant ne donne aucun fruit. Mais lorsque vient la saison du profit, l’homme obtient d’immenses richesses — parfois avec peu d’efforts — car le destin et le temps ont mûri l’issue.
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches the interplay of human effort (prayatna) and the ripening of time/destiny (kāla): effort alone may not yield results before conditions mature, while when the proper time arrives, gains can come swiftly and abundantly. Ethically, it encourages perseverance without despair and humility in success.
In Anuśāsana Parva’s didactic setting, Yudhiṣṭhira voices a reflective maxim about prosperity: he observes that outcomes depend not only on exertion but also on the destined moment of fruition, framing a moral discussion on wealth, conduct, and the limits of control.