Shloka 6
Udyoga Parva Adhyāya 92: Kṛṣṇasya sabhāpraveśaḥ
Krishna’s Entry into the Royal Assembly
धर्मकार्य यतज्छक्त्या नो चेत् प्राप्रोति मानव: । प्राप्तो भवति तत् पुण्यमत्र मे नास्ति संशय:
Vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca: dharmakārye yataś chaktyā no cet prāpnoti mānavaḥ | prāpto bhavati tat puṇyam atra me nāsti saṃśayaḥ ||
वैशम्पायन उवाच—धर्मकार्ये यथाशक्ति यतमानो नरः यदि । न सिद्धिमधिगच्छेत तस्य पुण्यं तु जायते ॥ अत्र मे नास्ति संशयः ॥
(वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Merit (puṇya) arises from sincere effort in dharma performed according to one’s capacity (śaktyā), even if the intended result is not achieved; ethical worth is grounded in right striving, not merely in success.
In the Udyoga Parva’s counsel-oriented context, Vaiśaṃpāyana states a general principle about dharmic action: when someone attempts a righteous duty with full effort but fails due to circumstances, the moral and spiritual credit of the attempt still accrues.