Shloka 20
दैव–पुरुषकार-प्रश्नः
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Inquiry: Fate and Human Effort
अकृत्वा मानुषं कर्म यो दैवमनुवर्तते । वृथा श्राम्यति सम्प्राप्पय पतिं क्लीबमिवाड़ना
akṛtvā mānuṣaṁ karma yo daivam anuvartate | vṛthā śrāmyati samprāpya patiṁ klībam ivāṅganā ||
Bhishma dit : «Celui qui néglige l’effort propre à l’homme (purushārtha) et ne suit que ce qu’il nomme “destin” (daiva) ne fait que s’épuiser en vain, adossé à la fatalité. C’est comme une femme qui, bien qu’ayant un mari, souffre encore—car ce mari est impuissant. Tel est l’enseignement : le dharma requiert une action résolue; invoquer le destin sans accomplir son devoir ne donne que frustration et stérilité.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
One should not abandon proper human effort (mānuṣa-karma) and hide behind ‘fate’ (daiva). Dharma is fulfilled through responsible action; relying on destiny alone leads to wasted hardship and no meaningful result.
Bhīṣma is instructing on nīti and dharma, warning against fatalism. He uses a sharp simile: just as a woman suffers even after ‘obtaining a husband’ if he is klība (incapable), so too a person suffers fruitlessly when ‘destiny’ is treated as the sole support while one’s own duty is left undone.