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 ||
Parāśara dit : Lorsque les actes d’un homme, même au moment où il les accomplit, finissent par se perdre et ne donnent aucun fruit durable, une conclusion s’impose : pour de tels êtres, en ce monde, il n’est pas d’œuvre vraiment stable et purificatrice en dehors de l’austérité (tapas). L’enseignement est à la fois moral et pratique : les entreprises mondaines sont fragiles et échouent souvent ; seule la discipline intérieure demeure un moyen sûr de s’élever.
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.