Srimad Bhagavatam — Shashtha Skandha, Shloka 17
Vṛtrāsura Instructs Indra on Providence and Devotion; The Slaying of Vṛtrāsura
प्राणग्लहोऽयं समर इष्वक्षो वाहनासन: । अत्र न ज्ञायतेऽमुष्य जयोऽमुष्य पराजय: ॥ १७ ॥
prāṇa-glaho ’yaṁ samara iṣv-akṣo vāhanāsanaḥ atra na jñāyate ’muṣya jayo ’muṣya parājayaḥ
Wahai musuh, anggaplah pertempuran ini seperti perjudian: nyawa adalah taruhannya, anak panah adalah dadu, dan hewan-hewan penarik kendaraan adalah papan permainannya. Tak seorang pun tahu siapa menang atau kalah; semuanya bergantung pada takdir ilahi.
FAQs
In this verse, Vṛtrāsura says battle is like a life-and-death gamble—arrows are the dice—so one cannot be certain who will win or lose.
To highlight the unpredictability of outcomes in combat and to frame the encounter as a fearless acceptance of destiny, rather than pride in assured victory.
Do your duty with courage and integrity, but remain detached from outcomes—success and failure are not always controllable, so steadiness of mind matters most.