Shloka 24
दैव–पुरुषकार-प्रश्नः
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Inquiry: Fate and Human Effort
न दैवतानि लोके5स्मिन् व्यापारं यान्ति कस्यचित् । व्यासडूं जनयन्त्युग्रमात्माभिभवशड्कया
na daivatāni loke 'smin vyāpāraṃ yānti kasyacit | vyāsaduṃ janayanty ugraṃ ātmābhibhavaśaṅkayā ||
Bhīṣma said: In this world, the gods do not directly intervene in anyone’s affairs. Rather, fearing that a truly virtuous person may surpass them, they may kindle a fierce attachment within him, so that obstacles arise in his practice of dharma.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse cautions that ethical and spiritual life should not rely on expectations of divine endorsement or intervention; even subtle temptations—like intense attachment—can arise and obstruct dharma, so vigilance and self-mastery are essential.
Bhīṣma, instructing on dharma in the Anuśāsana Parva, explains a moral-psychological dynamic: deities are not portrayed as managing each person’s karmic affairs; instead, obstacles such as powerful attachment may arise, disrupting a virtuous person’s steady pursuit of righteousness.