Shloka 18
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Saṃvāda
Kṛpa’s Counsel on Destiny and Human Effort
एवमेतदनादृत्य वर्तते यस्त्वतो5न्यथा । स करोत्यात्मनो5नर्थनिष बुद्धिमतां नयः:
evam etad anādṛtya vartate yas tv ato 'nyathā | sa karoty ātmano 'narthaṃ niṣṭhā buddhimatāṃ nayaḥ ||
Así es. Pero el hombre que desdeña este principio y obra de otro modo—rehusando aceptar la acción conjunta del destino y del esfuerzo humano, y confiando sólo en uno de ellos—se acarrea la desgracia. Tal es la norma asentada de los sabios.
कृप उवाच
Educational Q&A
One should not dismiss either destiny (daiva) or human effort (puruṣārtha). Ignoring their combined role and clinging to only one leads to one’s own ruin; the wise hold this as a settled principle of conduct.
In the Sauptika Parva, Kṛpa is giving counsel in the tense aftermath of the war, articulating a practical ethical stance: sound action requires acknowledging both what is fated and what must be done through deliberate effort.