Shloka 37
Vidyā–Avidyā and the Twenty-Fifth Principle
Sāṃkhya–Yoga Clarification
क्रियमाणं यदा कर्म नाशं गच्छति मानुषम् । तेषां नान्यदृते लोके तपस: कर्म विद्यते
kriyamāṇaṃ yadā karma nāśaṃ gacchati mānuṣam | teṣāṃ nānyadṛte loke tapasaḥ karma vidyate ||
Sinabi ni Parāśara: Kapag ang mga gawa ng tao—kahit isinasagawa pa—ay nauuwi rin sa pagkaparam at walang naiiwang pangmatagalang bunga, iisa ang malinaw na pasya: para sa gayong mga tao, sa mundong ito ay walang tunay na nananatili at nakalilinis na gawa kundi ang pag-aayuno at mahigpit na disiplina (tapas). Etikal at praktikal ang aral—marupok ang mga gawaing makamundo at madalas mabigo; kaya ang pagpipigil at pagdidisiplina sa loob ang tanging maaasahang daan ng pag-angat ng sarili.
पराशर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Worldly actions are unstable and can become fruitless; therefore, disciplined austerity (tapas)—self-restraint, inner purification, and sustained spiritual effort—is presented as the most dependable ‘good action’ for those whose ordinary karmas do not endure or do not lead to higher realization.
In Śānti Parva’s instructional discourse, the sage Parāśara is teaching a reflective, renunciatory ethic: he contrasts perishable worldly activity with the lasting value of tapas, guiding the listener toward inner discipline as the secure path when external achievements fail.