Shloka 26
Adhyāya 6: Śibira-dvāra-sthita Bhūta-varṇana and Aśvatthāmā’s Śaraṇāgati to Mahādeva
न हि दैवाद गरीयो वै मानुषं कर्म कथ्यते । मानुष्यं कुर्वतः कर्म यदि दैवान्न सिध्यति
na hi daivād garīyo vai mānuṣaṃ karma kathyate | mānuṣyaṃ kurvataḥ karma yadi daivān na sidhyati ||
मानव-प्रयत्न को दैव से श्रेष्ठ नहीं कहा जाता। मनुष्य उपाय करके कर्म करता भी है, तो भी यदि दैव अनुकूल न हो, वह सिद्ध नहीं होता।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse contrasts human agency (mānuṣa-karman) with destiny (daiva), asserting that human effort is not considered stronger than fate; without the concurrence of daiva, actions fail to reach completion.
In the Sauptika Parva’s aftermath of the night-raid and its consequences, Sañjaya reflects on causality and responsibility, framing events through the tension between personal effort and the overpowering role of destiny.