Shloka 19
नरनारायण-नारदसंवादः
Nara-Nārāyaṇa–Nārada Discourse on Vision, Elements, and Entry into Vāsudeva
पुत्रकी अभिलाषा रखनेवाले दीन स्त्री-पुरुषोंद्वारा देवताओंकी पूजा और तपस्या करके दस मासतक गर्भ धारण किया जाता है तथापि उनके कुलांगार पुत्र उत्पन्न होते हैं ।।
apare dhanadhānyāni bhogāṁś ca pitṛsañcitān | vipulān abhijāyante labdhās tair eva maṇḍalaiḥ ||
Nārada nói: “Trái lại, nhiều người sinh ra giữa cảnh an nhàn hưởng lạc, không cần gắng sức mà vẫn trở thành kẻ thừa tự kho tàng của cải và lương thực vô cùng lớn, cùng những khoái lạc dồi dào do cha họ tích lũy.”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
Worldly results are not proportionate to visible effort: some gain prosperity and pleasures merely by birth into a fortunate family, while others may strive intensely yet not receive the hoped-for outcomes. Therefore, dharma should be grounded in character and right understanding, not in expectation of guaranteed external rewards.
Nārada contrasts two life situations: people who inherit vast paternal wealth and enjoyments effortlessly, versus those who undergo hardship and religious striving for desired ends. The contrast serves as a reflective lesson in the Shānti Parva’s ethical discourse on human destiny, merit, and the limits of ritual as a means to control outcomes.