Shloka 14
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Saṃvāda
Kṛpa’s Counsel on Destiny and Human Effort
चेष्टामकुर्वल्लैभते यदि किंचिद् यदृच्छया । यो वा न लभते कृत्वा दुर्दर्शा तावुभावषि,यदि कोई पुरुषार्थ न करके दैवेच्छासे ही कुछ पा जाता है अथवा जो पुरुषार्थ करके भी कुछ नहीं पाता, इन दोनों प्रकारके मनुष्योंका मिलना बहुत कठिन है
ceṣṭām akurvan laibhate yadi kiñcid yadṛcchayā | yo vā na labhate kṛtvā durdarśā tāv ubhāv api ||
Kṛpa said: “If someone, without making any effort, happens to gain something merely by chance, or if another, even after exerting himself, gains nothing—encountering either of these two kinds of persons is exceedingly rare.”
कृप उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse contrasts two extremes—gain without effort and lack of gain despite effort—to highlight the unpredictability of outcomes and to provoke reflection on the relationship between human agency (ceṣṭā/puruṣārtha) and chance or fate (yadṛcchā).
In the Sauptika Parva’s tense aftermath of the war, Kṛpa speaks in a reflective, advisory tone, commenting on how results do not always align with effort—an observation relevant to decisions and moral judgment in a chaotic, consequence-laden moment.