Shloka 11

दैव–पुरुषकार-प्रश्नः

Daiva–Puruṣakāra Inquiry: Fate and Human Effort

Devanagari script

कृती सर्वत्र लभते प्रतिष्ठां भाग्यसंयुताम्‌ । अकृती लभते भ्रष्ट: क्षते क्षारावसेचनम्‌

Transliteration

kṛtī sarvatra labhate pratiṣṭhāṃ bhāgyasaṃyutām | akṛtī labhate bhraṣṭaḥ kṣate kṣārāvasecanam ||

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : L’homme capable et industrieux obtient l’honneur partout, soutenu par la bonne fortune. Mais l’incapable et l’oisif, déchu de l’estime, rencontre une souffrance pareille à du sel jeté sur une plaie.

Word by Word

• कृती: an industrious/able person
• कृती: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृतिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सर्वत्र: everywhere
• सर्वत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वत्र (अव्यय)

• लभते: obtains
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: Present, Atmanepada, Third, Singular

• प्रतिष्ठाम्: reputation, standing
• प्रतिष्ठाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिष्ठा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• भाग्यसंयुताम्: endowed with good fortune
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भाग्य-संयुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• अकृती: an unenterprising/ineffective person
• अकृती: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अकृतिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• लभते: obtains
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: Present, Atmanepada, Third, Singular

• भ्रष्टः: fallen, deprived (of honor)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भ्रष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; भ्रंश्-क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• क्षते: on a wound
• क्षते: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत (प्रातिपदिक; क्षन्/क्षद्-क्त)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• क्षारावसेचनम्: sprinkling of salt/alkali
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षार-अवसेचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma teaches that personal capability and sustained effort lead to honour and stability, often aided by fortune; whereas idleness or incompetence results in loss of standing and compounded suffering—pain added to pain, like salt on a wound.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and right conduct. Here he uses a sharp proverb-like comparison to contrast the outcomes of industriousness versus inactivity, emphasizing ethical self-discipline and responsibility.