Shloka 20
शकुनि (हिरण्मय-पक्षी) उपदेशः — Vighasāśin and the Difficulty of Gārhasthya
देवा वै दुष्करं कृत्वा विभूतिं परमां गता: । तस्माद् गार्हस्थ्यमुद्रोढुं दुष्करं प्रत्रवीमि व:
devā vai duṣkaraṁ kṛtvā vibhūtiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ | tasmād gārhasthyam udroḍhuṁ duṣkaraṁ prabravīmi vaḥ ||
Sa pagganap sa tunay na mahirap na disiplina, nakamit ng mga deva ang sukdulang kasaganaan. Kaya sinasabi ko sa inyo: ang pasanin ng buhay-maybahay (dharma ng grihastha) ay isang mahirap na panata—akuin ninyo ang mabigat na pagtalimang ito.
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse elevates gṛhastha-dharma (the householder’s responsibilities) as a demanding spiritual discipline: like the gods who gained supreme excellence through a hard vow, one should regard sustaining family and society through righteous conduct as a difficult yet ennobling vrata.
Arjuna speaks, pointing to the gods as an example of attaining greatness through arduous observance, and urges his listeners to undertake the ‘hard vow’ of the householder path—bearing its obligations as a serious ethical and spiritual commitment.