Shloka 15

दैव–पुरुषकार-प्रश्नः

Daiva–Puruṣakāra Inquiry: Fate and Human Effort

Devanagari script

अर्थो वा मित्रवर्गो वा ऐश्वर्य वा कुलान्वितम्‌ । श्रीक्षापि दुर्लभा भोक्तुं तथैवाकृतकर्मभि:,जो पुरुषार्थ नहीं करते वे धन, मित्रवर्ग, ऐश्वर्य, उत्तम कुल तथा दुर्लभ लक्ष्मीका भी उपभोग नहीं कर सकते

Transliteration

artho vā mitravargo vā aiśvaryaṁ vā kulānvitam | śrīś cāpi durlabhā bhoktuṁ tathaivākṛtakarmabhiḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : «La richesse, le cercle d’amis, la souveraineté, la noblesse de lignée, et même la rare bonne fortune (Lakṣmī) ne peuvent être réellement goûtés par ceux qui n’agissent pas, par ceux qui ne s’appliquent pas avec dessein.»

Word by Word

• अर्थः: wealth/means
• अर्थः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• मित्रवर्गः: circle of friends
• मित्रवर्गः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मित्रवर्ग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• ऐश्वर्यम्: lordship/power/prosperity
• ऐश्वर्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऐश्वर्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• कुलान्वितम्: endowed with (good) lineage
• कुलान्वितम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुलान्वित
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• श्रीः: fortune/prosperity (Lakshmi)
• श्रीः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अपि: even/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• दुर्लभा: hard to obtain
• दुर्लभा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• भोक्तुम्: to enjoy/consume
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज्
• Form: तुमुन् (infinitive), Parasmaipada/Atmanepada-neutral (infinitive)

• तथा: so/likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• अकृतकर्मभिः: by those who have not done (proper) actions / by the inactive
• अकृतकर्मभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अकृतकर्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Shri (Lakshmi/fortune)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Prosperity—wealth, allies, power, status, and even rare good fortune—becomes truly usable and enjoyable only through purposeful action (karma) and personal endeavor (puruṣārtha). Inactivity makes even great advantages fruitless.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anushasana Parva’s instruction-setting, Bhishma continues his ethical counsel, emphasizing to the listener that social and material attainments do not yield benefit for one who does not act; effort is presented as the enabling condition for enjoying any fortune.