Shloka 25
Jarāsandha–Vāsudeva Saṃvāda: Kṣātra-Dharma, Pride, and the Ethics of Coercion
Sabhā Parva, Adhyāya 20
ईशौ हि तौ महात्मानौ सर्वकार्यप्रवर्तिनौ | धर्मकामार्थलोकानां कार्याणां च प्रवर्तकौ
īśau hi tau mahātmānau sarvakāryapravartinau | dharmakāmārthalokānāṃ kāryāṇāṃ ca pravartakau ||
毗湿摩耶那说道：那两位大心者，实为至上之主，能令一切事业发动。诸般活动皆在其统摄之下；凡奉行法（dharma）、追逐欲（kāma）与求取利（artha）之人，也由他们推动，去行与其所求相称之业——因此，他们正是潜在于人间一切奋勉之后的神圣引导者（那罗与那罗延）。
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents Nara and Nārāyaṇa as the divine regulators of action: all human pursuits—dharma (duty), kāma (desire), and artha (prosperity)—operate within a higher moral-cosmic governance. Ethical life is thus not random; it is guided and sustained by a supreme order that directs beings toward appropriate action.
Vaiśaṃpāyana identifies and praises the two exalted figures (understood as Nara and Nārāyaṇa), describing their lordship over all activities and their role in prompting people to undertake actions aligned with dharma, kāma, and artha. The statement functions as a theological framing within the Sabha Parva narration.