Shloka 15
शकुनि (हिरण्मय-पक्षी) उपदेशः — Vighasāśin and the Difficulty of Gārhasthya
ईहन्ते सर्वभूतानि तदिदं कर्मसंज्ञितम् । सिद्धिक्षेत्रमिदं पुण्यमयमेवाश्रमो महान्
īhante sarvabhūtāni tad idaṃ karmasaṃjñitam | siddhikṣetram idaṃ puṇyamayam evāśramo mahān |
アルジュナは言った。「一切の衆生は努め励む——これが『カルマ（業）』と呼ばれる。成就のこの聖なる領域こそ大いなる住期、すなわち家住期である。そこではヴェーダの義務、とりわけ祭祀が担われる。ヴェーダはこれらの儀礼を堅く教え、賢者たちは、行為はヴェーダのマントラによってこそ成就すると説く。ゆえにそれを行えば、この世で望む果を得、また天界へ至る道を得る。かくして多くの生きものは、月・半月・季節、太陽・月・星辰によって時を標された祭を、力の及ぶ限り成し遂げようと努める。かかる祭の遂行が業と呼ばれ、それが行われる場所——家住期（gṛhastha-āśrama）——は成功の功徳の場であり、諸住期のうち最も偉大とされる。」
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames ‘karma’ as the universal striving of beings, and then narrows it to Vedic duty—especially yajña—performed with mantras. It elevates the gṛhastha-āśrama as the primary, merit-filled ‘field of accomplishment’ because it is the social and ritual setting where these duties are actually carried out and where desired results (including the path to svarga) are pursued.
In the Śānti Parva’s discourse on dharma and right conduct, Arjuna speaks about the nature of action and the religious life. He explains why householdership is considered the greatest āśrama: it sustains Vedic rites and time-bound sacrifices linked to cosmic cycles (months, seasons, sun, moon, stars), which most beings attempt to perform to the best of their capacity.