Shloka 25
दैव–पुरुषकार-प्रश्नः
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Inquiry: Fate and Human Effort
ऋषीणां देवतानां च सदा भवति विग्रह: । कस्य वाचा हादैवं स्याद् यतो दैवं प्रवर्तते,ऋषियों और देवताओंमें सदा कलह होता रहता है (देवता ऋषियोंकी तपस्यामें विघ्न डालते हैं तथा ऋषि अपने तपोबलसे देवताओंको स्थानभ्रष्ट कर देते हैं।।
ṛṣīṇāṃ devatānāṃ ca sadā bhavati vigrahaḥ | kasya vācā hādaivaṃ syād yato daivaṃ pravartate ||
Bhishma said: “Between the sages and the gods there is always conflict. For whom could mere speech, without the force of destiny, become the cause of happiness or sorrow? For it is from destiny that the course of events is set in motion.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma emphasizes the primacy of daiva (destiny/providence) in producing outcomes: mere words or intentions, when unsupported by the operative force of destiny, cannot by themselves yield happiness or sorrow. The verse frames events as ultimately moving according to daiva, even amid human or divine contention.
Bhishma is reflecting on a recurring tension between sages and gods—often understood as gods obstructing ascetic austerities and sages, through tapas, challenging divine status. He uses this to argue that outcomes are not secured by speech alone; the unfolding of results depends on daiva setting events in motion.