Shloka 47
दैव–पुरुषकार-प्रश्नः
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Inquiry: Fate and Human Effort
न च फलति विकर्मा जीवलोके न दैवं व्यपनयति विमार्ग नास्ति दैवे प्रभुत्वम् | गुरुमिव कृतमग्रयं कर्म संयाति दैवं नयति पुरुषकार: संचितस्तत्र तत्र
na ca phalati vikarmā jīvaloke na daivaṁ vyapanayati vimārgaṁ nāsti daive prabhutvam | gurum iva kṛtam agryaṁ karma saṁyāti daivaṁ nayati puruṣakāraḥ saṁcitas tatra tatra ||
Bhishma enseigne que, dans le monde des êtres vivants, celui qui ne fait aucun effort ne prospère jamais véritablement. Le destin ne possède pas une puissance si indépendante qu’il puisse arracher l’oisif au mauvais chemin et l’établir fermement dans le bon. Au contraire, le destin suit l’initiative humaine : comme le disciple marche en plaçant le maître devant lui, ainsi la destinée se meut derrière l’effort. C’est l’effort accumulé qui entraîne le « destin » là où on le fait aller.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Human effort (puruṣakāra) is primary: prosperity and moral progress do not come to the idle, and ‘fate’ is not an independent ruler that can reform a person by itself. Destiny is portrayed as following behind one’s accumulated actions and exertions.
Bhishma is instructing on dharma and right conduct, emphasizing ethical responsibility. In this teaching passage he argues against fatalism, explaining that personal initiative leads and what people call ‘daiva’ follows the momentum created by one’s deeds.