Shloka 14
उत्थानेन सदा पुत्र प्रयतेथा युधिष्ठिर न हात्थानमृते दैवं राज्ञामर्थ प्रसादयेत्,बेटा युधिष्ठिर! तुम सदा पुरुषार्थके लिये प्रयत्नशील रहना। पुरुषार्थंके बिना केवल प्रारब्ध राजाओंका प्रयोजन नहीं सिद्ध कर सकता
utthānena sadā putra prayetethā yudhiṣṭhira | na hy utthānam ṛte daivaṁ rājñām arthaṁ prasādayet ||
Bhishma sprach: „Mein Sohn Yudhishthira, strebe stets mit tatkräftigem Einsatz. Ohne eigenes Bemühen kann das bloße Schicksal die Ziele eines Königs nicht zur Erfüllung bringen.“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma teaches that purposeful effort (utthāna/puruṣārtha) is indispensable: destiny alone does not secure a ruler’s goals. Ethical governance requires initiative, discipline, and sustained striving rather than passive reliance on fate.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and statecraft, Bhīṣma counsels Yudhiṣṭhira after the war, emphasizing practical nīti: a king must actively work for rightful ends; fate supports but does not replace human endeavor.