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,क्योंकि वे दोनों महात्मा निमेष-उन्मेषसे लेकर महाप्रलयपर्यन्त समस्त कार्योंके नियन्ता तथा धर्म, काम और अर्थसाधनमें लगे हुए लोगोंको तत्सम्बन्धी कार्योमें लगानेवाले ईश्वर (नर-नारायण) हैं
īśau hi tau mahātmānau sarvakāryapravartinau | dharmakāmārthalokānāṃ kāryāṇāṃ ca pravartakau ||
Sinabi ni Vaiśaṃpāyana: Ang dalawang dakilang kaluluwang iyon ay tunay na mga Kataas-taasang Panginoon na nagpapakilos sa lahat ng gawain. Pinamamahalaan nila ang bawat pagkilos, at itinutulak din ang mga taong nakatuon sa dharma, pagnanasa, at ginhawang makalupa na isagawa ang mga gawaing nararapat sa mga layuning iyon—kaya sila ang mga banal na patnubay (Nara at Nārāyaṇa) sa likod ng bawat pagsisikap ng tao.
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.