Shloka 12
दैव–पुरुषकार-प्रश्नः
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Inquiry: Fate and Human Effort
तपसा रूपसौभाग्यं रत्नानि विविधानि च । प्राप्पते कर्मणा सर्व न दैवादकृतात्मना
Bhīṣma uvāca — tapasā rūpa-saubhāgyaṁ ratnāni vividhāni ca | prāpyate karmaṇā sarvaṁ na daivād akṛtātmanā ||
Melalui tapa-brata diperoleh keelokan, keberuntungan, dan berbagai permata. Sesungguhnya segala sesuatu diraih lewat usaha; tetapi orang yang tak mengekang diri dan hanya bersandar pada nasib tak memperoleh apa-apa.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Results such as prosperity, beauty, and valuable attainments come primarily through tapas (disciplined effort) and karma (personal action). Mere dependence on fate, especially without self-discipline, yields no achievement.
In Bhishma’s instruction (Anushasana Parva), he emphasizes an ethical principle for the listener: cultivate self-control and sustained effort, rather than passively attributing outcomes to destiny.