Dharma-śaṅkā-nivāraṇa: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Response on Karma-Phala and Trust in Dharma
जड़मेषु विशेषेण मनुष्या भरतर्षभ । इच्छन्ति कर्मणा वृत्तिमवाप्तु प्रेत्य चेह च,भरतश्रेष्ठ! जंगम जीवोंमें विशेषरूपसे मनुष्य कर्मके द्वारा ही हहलोक और परलोकमें जीविका प्राप्त करना चाहते हैं
jaḍameṣu viśeṣeṇa manuṣyā bharatarṣabha | icchanti karmaṇā vṛttim avāptuṁ pretya ceha ca ||
Sinabi ni Yudhiṣṭhira: “O toro sa mga Bharata, sa lahat ng nilalang, ang tao ang natatanging naghahangad na matamo ang ikabubuhay sa pamamagitan ng pagkilos (karma), kapwa sa mundong ito at pagkamatay sa susunod na daigdig.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Human beings are distinguished by deliberate agency: they consciously rely on karma (intentional action) to sustain life and to shape outcomes not only in this world but also in the hereafter, implying moral responsibility for one’s deeds.
Yudhiṣṭhira addresses a Bharata noble (honorifically ‘bharatarṣabha’) and reflects on the human condition—how people pursue sustenance and future welfare through action—setting an ethical frame for the surrounding discussion on conduct and duty.