Shloka 37
नरनारायण-नारदसंवादः
Nara-Nārāyaṇa–Nārada Discourse on Vision, Elements, and Entry into Vāsudeva
न म्रियेरन् न जीर्येरन् सर्वे स्यु:सर्वकामिन: । नाप्रियं प्रति पश्येयुरुत्थानस्य फले सति
na mriyeran na jīryeran sarve syuḥ sarvakāminaḥ | nāpriyaṃ prati paśyeyur utthānasya phale sati ||
Nārada dit : «Si le fruit de l’effort dépendait entièrement de la main de chacun, les hommes ne vieilliraient ni ne mourraient. Tous obtiendraient tout ce qu’ils désirent, et nul n’aurait jamais à rencontrer ce qui lui est déplaisant.»
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
Human effort (utthāna) is necessary but does not guarantee complete control over results (phala). If outcomes were fully controllable, aging, death, unfulfilled desires, and unpleasant experiences would not exist. The verse underscores the ethical need for steadiness, humility, and non-attachment regarding results.
Nārada is speaking in a didactic context within the Śānti Parva, using a hypothetical scenario to explain why people cannot secure every desired outcome through effort alone, thereby guiding the listener toward a realistic and dharmic understanding of action and its limits.