Shloka 96
पञ्चवर्णोत्पत्तिः — The Origin of the Five-Colored Fiery Being and Ritual-Disruptor Lineages
दृश्यन्ते निष्फला: सन्त: प्रहीणा: सर्वकर्मभि: । किंतु बड़े-बड़े संयमी, कार्यकुशल और बुद्धिमान् मनुष्य भी अपना काम करते-करते थक जाते हैं तो भी वे इच्छानुसार फलकी प्राप्तिसे वंचित ही देखे जाते हैं
dṛśyante niṣphalāḥ santaḥ prahīṇāḥ sarvakarmabhiḥ | kintu baḍe-baḍe saṃyamī kāryakuśala-buddhimān manuṣyā api svakarma kurvantaḥ kurvantaḥ śrāmyanti tathāpi te yathā-icchita-phala-prāptitaḥ vañcitā eva dṛśyante |
The righteous are seen to remain without the fruits they seek, even after they have exhausted themselves in every kind of effort. Even great men—self-controlled, capable in action, and intelligent—grow weary while doing their work; yet they are still observed to be deprived of the results they desire. The hunter-teacher points to a moral truth: effort and virtue do not always yield immediate, chosen outcomes, because results depend on factors beyond mere exertion, and one must therefore act with steadiness rather than entitlement to reward.
व्याध उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even virtuous and capable people may not obtain the results they desire despite great effort; therefore one should focus on right action and steadiness, not on guaranteed or immediate reward.
Vyādha, instructing on dharma, explains that worldly outcomes are uncertain: people may labor hard and still fail to gain the wished-for fruit, highlighting the need for disciplined action without attachment to results.