Shloka 13

Devanagari script

प्रायशो हि कृतं कर्म नाफलं दृश्यते भुवि । अकृत्वा च पुनर्दु:खं कर्म पश्येन्महाफलम्‌,प्राय: किया हुआ कर्म इस भूतलपर कभी निष्फल होता नहीं देखा जाता है; परंतु कर्म न करनेसे दुःखकी प्राप्ति ही देखनेमें आती है; अतः कर्मको महान्‌ फलदायक समझना चाहिये

Transliteration

prāyaśo hi kṛtaṃ karma nāphalaṃ dṛśyate bhuvi | akṛtvā ca punar duḥkhaṃ karma paśyen mahāphalam ||

Translation

Kṛpa said: “In this world, an action that is undertaken is generally not seen to be fruitless. But when one refrains from acting, one again sees only the coming of suffering. Therefore, one should regard action as yielding great results.”

Word by Word

प्रायशःgenerally, for the most part

हिindeed, for

कृतम्done, performed

कर्मaction, deed

नnot

अफलम्fruitless

दृश्यतेis seen, is observed

भुविon earth, in the world

अकृत्वाnot having done, without doing

चand

पुनःagain; on the other hand

दुःखम्sorrow, suffering

कर्मaction (as object: action/doing)

पश्येत्one would see / should see

महा-फलम्having great fruit; greatly fruitful

Speaker

कृप उवाच

Characters & Entities

Kṛpa

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Kṛpa emphasizes a pragmatic ethic of action: effort and decisive undertaking usually produce some result, whereas avoidance of action tends to invite suffering; hence one should treat purposeful action as a source of great outcomes.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Sauptika Parva’s tense aftermath of the war, Kṛpa offers counsel to encourage decisive action rather than hesitation, arguing that in worldly affairs inaction commonly leads to distress.