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Shloka 20

Yoga-kṛtya (योककृत्य) — Vyāsa on Sense-Restraint, Obstacles, and Brahman-Realization

पौरुषं कर्म दैवं च फलवृत्ति: स्वभावत: । त्रय एते5पृथग्भूता न विवेक॑ तु केचन

pauruṣaṁ karma daivaṁ ca phalavṛttiḥ svabhāvataḥ | traya ete ’pṛthagbhūtā na vivekaṁ tu kecana ||

Certains sages disent que la fruition des actes naît naturellement de l’action conjointe de trois facteurs : l’effort humain, le destin et la nature innée. Ces trois-là opèrent comme une unité inséparable pour produire le résultat ; pris séparément, aucun ne suffit à mener au succès.

पौरुषम्human effort, manly exertion
पौरुषम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootपौरुष
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular
कर्मaction, deed
कर्म:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootकर्मन्
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular
दैवम्fate, divine dispensation
दैवम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootदैव
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
फलवृत्तिःattainment/occurrence of result
फलवृत्तिः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootफलवृत्ति
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
स्वभावतःby nature, naturally
स्वभावतः:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootस्वभाव
Formablative-based adverb (-तः)
त्रयःthree
त्रयः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootत्रि
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
एतेthese
एते:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootएतद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
अपृथग्भूताःnot separate; united
अपृथग्भूताः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootअपृथग्भूत
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural, past passive participle (भूत) used adjectivally
not
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
विवेकम्separation, discrimination
विवेकम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootविवेक
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
तुbut, however
तु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु
केचनsome (people)
केचन:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootकश्चन
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural

व्यास उवाच

V
Vyāsa

Educational Q&A

Results arise from the joint operation of human effort (pauruṣa), destiny (daiva), and innate nature (svabhāva). Treating any one factor as the sole cause is an incomplete view; effective action and its fruition depend on their combined interplay.

In the didactic setting of the Śānti Parva, Vyāsa delivers a philosophical clarification about causality and moral agency, explaining how success or failure in action is produced through multiple intertwined causes rather than a single isolated determinant.