Shloka 2
Adhyātma-krama: Indriya–Manas–Buddhi–Ātman Hierarchy and Citta-Prasāda (आध्यात्मक्रमः)
तत्र चेन्न भवेदेवं संशय: कर्मसिद्धये । कि तु कर्म स्वभावो<यं ज्ञानं कर्मेति वा पुन:
tatra cen na bhaved evaṁ saṁśayaḥ karmasiddhaye | kintu karma svabhāvo ’yaṁ jñānaṁ karmeti vā punaḥ ||
若在此事上毫无疑惑，则行动确可成为直达成就的手段。然而疑问在此生起：此行动只是出于与生俱来的本性吗？抑或应当再次理解为以智慧为根基的行动？
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a key philosophical problem: action would be a clear means to attainment if it were free from doubt, but uncertainty persists about whether action is merely driven by innate nature (svabhāva) or whether true action must be informed and transformed by knowledge (jñāna).
Vyāsa frames a reflective inquiry within the Śānti Parva’s instruction: he points out that the discussion turns on a doubt about the basis of karma—whether it is simply natural impulse or a disciplined practice rooted in understanding—thereby setting up further clarification on the relation between knowledge and action.