Shloka 22
Adhyāya 222 — ब्रह्मस्थानप्राप्ति: मोक्षधर्मे समत्वव्रतम्
Attaining the Brahman-Station: The Vow of Equanimity in Mokṣadharma
स्वभावप्रेरिता: सर्वे निविशन्ते गुणा यदा । शुभाशुभास्तदा तत्र कस्य कि मानकारणम्,जब शुभ और अशुभ सभी प्रकारके गुण स्वभावकी ही प्रेरणासे प्राप्त होते हैं, तब किसीको भी उनपर अभिमान करनेका क्या कारण है?
svabhāva-preritāḥ sarve niviśante guṇā yadā | śubhāśubhās tadā tatra kasya kiṁ māna-kāraṇam ||
स्वभावप्रेरिताḥ सर्वे निविशन्ते गुणा यदा । शुभाशुभास्तदा तत्र कस्य किं मानकारणम् ॥
प्रह्माद उवाच
Educational Q&A
Since both good and bad traits arise under the prompting of one’s innate nature, claiming personal credit and taking pride in them is misguided; the verse urges humility and a reduction of ego around one’s qualities.
In Śānti Parva’s reflective instruction, Prahlāda speaks as a teacher, presenting a philosophical-ethical point: qualities manifest according to svabhāva, so one should not become arrogant about possessing ‘good’ qualities (nor despair as if wholly self-made by ‘bad’ ones).