Shloka 12
परिक्षिद्वृत्तान्तप्रश्नः
Inquiry into Parīkṣit’s Conduct and the Beginnings of His Downfall
पितर ऊचु. वृद्धों भवान् ब्रह्मचारी यो नस्त्रातुमिहेच्छसि । नतु विप्राग्रय तपसा शक््यते तद् व्यपोहितुम्,पितरोंने कहा--विप्रवर! आप बूढ़े ब्रह्मचारी हैं, जो यहाँ हमारी रक्षा करना चाहते हैं; किंतु हमारा संकट तपस्यासे नहीं टाला जा सकता
pitara ūcuḥ | vṛddho bhavān brahmacārī yo nas trātum ihecchasi | na tu viprāgrya tapasā śakyate tad vyapohitum |
祖灵们说道：“可敬的婆罗门啊，你是年迈守梵行的苦行者，愿在此护佑我们。然而此厄并非仅凭苦行便可消除。有些果报已然缠定；即便怀善意的护持者，也当明白：面对不可回避的事势之流，个人之力自有其限。”
तक्षक उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even great austerity and good intentions have limits; certain dangers arise from forces (often understood as karmic consequence or an already-fixed course of events) that cannot be simply ‘burned away’ by tapas. Dharma includes discerning what can and cannot be prevented.
The Pitṛs (ancestral beings) address an eminent brahmin ascetic who wants to protect them. They acknowledge his virtue and intent but state that their present संकट (peril) cannot be removed through ascetic effort alone.