Shloka 22
Śaṅkha–Likhita Upākhyāna: Daṇḍa, Confession, and the Purification of Kingship (शङ्ख-लिखितोपाख्यानम्)
विच्छिद्यन्ते समारब्धा सिद्धान्ते चापि दैवत:ः । कृते पुरुषकारे तु नैनः स्पृशति पार्थिवम्
vicchidyante samārabdhā siddhānte cāpi daivataḥ | kṛte puruṣakāre tu nainaḥ spṛśati pārthivam ||
毗湿摩波罗衍那说道：“已然兴起之事，命运不利则中道夭折，命运顺遂则得以圆成。然而，若国王已按其分尽了人力之努力，则——纵使未获成功——罪业亦不触及其身。”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse balances destiny (daiva) with human initiative (puruṣakāra): outcomes may depend on fate, but moral accountability depends on whether one has made proper effort. A ruler who acts with due diligence and right exertion is not stained by sin merely because the result fails.
In the didactic discourse of the Śānti Parva, Vaiśampāyana states a general principle for governance and conduct: enterprises can fail or succeed according to destiny, yet ethical blame does not attach to a king who has fulfilled his duty through appropriate personal effort.