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 ||
وَیشَمپایَن نے کہا—اگر انسان اپنی پوری استطاعت کے مطابق کسی دھارمک کام میں کوشش کرے اور کامیابی نہ بھی پائے، تب بھی اس کوشش کا پُنّیہ (ثواب) اسے ضرور حاصل ہوتا ہے؛ اس میں مجھے کوئی شک نہیں۔
(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.