Shloka 83
प्रवृत्तिलक्षणश्वैव धर्मो नारायणात्मक: । नारायणात्मको गन्धो भूमौ श्रेष्ठतम: स्मृत:,प्रवृत्तिकूप धर्म भी नारायणका ही स्वरूप है। भूमिका श्रेष्ठम गुण गन्ध भी नारायणमय ही है
pravṛttilakṣaṇaś caiva dharmo nārāyaṇātmakaḥ | nārāyaṇātmako gandho bhūmau śreṣṭhatamaḥ smṛtaḥ ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana dit : Le dharma marqué par l’engagement dans le monde (pravṛtti) est lui-même de la nature de Nārāyaṇa. Même le parfum le plus exquis que l’on trouve dans la terre est tenu pour « façonné de Nārāyaṇa » — pénétré de Lui.
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches a theistic vision of dharma: the active, worldly path of duty (pravṛtti-dharma) is not separate from the Divine but is of Nārāyaṇa’s very essence. Even the highest natural excellence—symbolized by earth’s finest fragrance—is understood as pervaded by Nārāyaṇa, encouraging reverence for both ethical action and the natural world as expressions of the same ultimate reality.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and ultimate principles, Vaiśaṃpāyana continues the doctrinal exposition by identifying dharma and even elemental qualities of nature with Nārāyaṇa, reinforcing a unifying, devotional-metaphysical framework for understanding righteous conduct and the cosmos.