Shloka 20
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Saṃvāda
Kṛpa’s Counsel on Destiny and Human Effort
हीनं पुरुषकारेण कर्म त्विह न सिद्धयति । दैवतेभ्यो नमस्कृत्य यस्त्वर्थान् सम्यगीहते
hīnaṃ puruṣakāreṇa karma tv iha na siddhayati | daivatebhyo namaskṛtya yas tv arthān samyag īhate ||
A deed that lacks human effort does not succeed here. But one who first bows to the divine powers and then strives rightly for his aims—acting with proper judgment and resolve—can bring his undertaking to fulfillment.
कृप उवाच
Educational Q&A
Success in action requires puruṣakāra (personal effort); mere reliance on daiva (divine will/fate) is insufficient. The verse recommends a balanced approach: reverence toward the divine, followed by correct, disciplined striving toward one’s objectives.
In the Sauptika Parva, Kṛpa speaks as a counselor in the aftermath of catastrophic war events. Here he emphasizes that outcomes depend on deliberate human initiative, while also acknowledging the role of divine reverence—urging purposeful action rather than passivity.