Shloka 25
Jarāsandha–Vāsudeva Saṃvāda: Kṣātra-Dharma, Pride, and the Ethics of Coercion
Sabhā Parva, Adhyāya 20
ईशौ हि तौ महात्मानौ सर्वकार्यप्रवर्तिनौ | धर्मकामार्थलोकानां कार्याणां च प्रवर्तकौ
īśau hi tau mahātmānau sarvakāryapravartinau | dharmakāmārthalokānāṃ kāryāṇāṃ ca pravartakau ||
ヴァイシャンパーヤナは語った。あの二人の大いなる魂は、まことに万事を起こし動かす至上の主である。あらゆる営みを統べ、またダルマ、欲（カーマ）、利（アルタ）に身を捧げる者たちを、それぞれの目的にふさわしい行いへと駆り立てる—ゆえに彼らは、人の努力の背後にある神なる導き手（ナラとナーラーヤナ）なのである。
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents Nara and Nārāyaṇa as the divine regulators of action: all human pursuits—dharma (duty), kāma (desire), and artha (prosperity)—operate within a higher moral-cosmic governance. Ethical life is thus not random; it is guided and sustained by a supreme order that directs beings toward appropriate action.
Vaiśaṃpāyana identifies and praises the two exalted figures (understood as Nara and Nārāyaṇa), describing their lordship over all activities and their role in prompting people to undertake actions aligned with dharma, kāma, and artha. The statement functions as a theological framing within the Sabha Parva narration.