Mahabharata — Ashvamedhika Parva, Shloka 17
Mind as Charioteer; Kṣetrajña, Tapas, and Dhyāna-Yoga
Adhyātma-Upadeśa
सहस्नेणापि दुर्मेधा न बुद्धिमधिगच्छति । चतुर्थेनाप्यथांशेन बुद्धिमान् सुखमेधते
sahasreṇāpi durmedhā na buddhim adhigacchati | caturthenāpy athāṁśena buddhimān sukham edhate ||
हज़ार उपाय करने पर भी जिसकी समझ दुर्बल है, वह सच्ची बुद्धि नहीं पाता; पर जो बुद्धिमान है, वह चौथाई प्रयत्न से भी ज्ञान प्राप्त कर सुख-समृद्धि को प्राप्त होता है।
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that wisdom is not produced merely by multiplying external efforts; without sound intellect and receptivity, even great exertion may fail. Conversely, a discerning person needs comparatively little effort to grasp truth and thereby attain well-being.
Vāyudeva is speaking as a moral instructor, offering a general maxim about discernment and effort. The statement functions as ethical counsel within the Ashvamedhika Parva’s reflective, didactic passages.