Shloka 20
Adhyāya 222 — ब्रह्मस्थानप्राप्ति: मोक्षधर्मे समत्वव्रतम्
Attaining the Brahman-Station: The Vow of Equanimity in Mokṣadharma
अनिष्टस्याभिनिर्व त्तिमिष्टसंवृत्तिमेव च । अप्रयत्नेन पश्याम: केषाज्चित् तत्स्वभावत:
aniṣṭasyābhinirvṛttim iṣṭasaṃvṛttim eva ca | aprayatnena paśyāmaḥ keṣāñcit tat svabhāvataḥ ||
Prahlāda dit : «Nous observons, chez certains êtres, que le malheur s’accomplit et que le désiré se trouve entravé, même sans effort délibéré. Cela arrive simplement selon leur propre nature.»
प्रह्माद उवाच
Educational Q&A
Prahlāda highlights that outcomes are not always proportional to visible effort: for some, misfortune arises and desired aims are blocked even without deliberate action, suggesting the role of inherent nature (svabhāva) and unseen causal factors alongside personal striving.
In the Śānti Parva’s reflective discourse, Prahlāda speaks philosophically about human experience—pointing to cases where events unfold seemingly on their own, as if driven by one’s innate disposition, thereby framing a discussion on causality, destiny, and ethical living.