Shloka 26
Udyoga Parva, Adhyaya 31 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Instructions to Sañjaya
Peace Appeal and Five-Village Proposal
न त्वेव मन्ये पुरुषस्य कर्म संवर्तते सुप्रयुक्ते यथावत् । मातुः पितु: कर्मणाभिप्रसूत: संवर्धते विधिवद् भोजनेन
sañjaya uvāca | na tveva manye puruṣasya karma saṃvartate suprayukte yathāvat | mātuḥ pituḥ karmaṇābhiprasūtaḥ saṃvardhate vidhivad bhojanena |
サンジャヤは言った。「しかし私は、人の努力が、たとえ巧みに正しく用いられても、それだけで意図した結果へと熟するとは思わぬ。子は母と父の労によって生まれるが、食物などにより法にかなって養われてこそ成長する。同じく人の奮励も、自らの支配を超えた支えとなる条件を要する。このことにおいて決定的なのは運命である。」
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Sañjaya questions the sufficiency of human effort alone: even well-directed action does not automatically yield results unless supporting conditions align. The verse uses the analogy of a child—conceived through parents’ effort but growing only with proper nourishment—to suggest that outcomes depend on factors beyond personal control, with destiny (daiva) playing a dominant role.
In the Udyoga Parva’s deliberations leading toward war, Sañjaya reflects on causality and responsibility. He frames a philosophical point relevant to political and ethical decision-making: plans and exertions may be sound, yet success is not guaranteed, implying that unseen forces or destiny can override even competent human agency.