Shloka 6
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Saṃvāda
Kṛpa’s Counsel on Destiny and Human Effort
उत्थान चाप्यदैवस्य हानुत्थानं च दैवतम् । व्यर्थ भवति सर्वत्र पूर्वस्तत्र विनिश्चय:,दैवरहित पुरुषका पुरुषार्थ व्यर्थ है और पुरुषार्थशून्य दैव भी व्यर्थ हो जाता है। सर्वत्र ये दो ही पक्ष उठाये जाते हैं। इन दोनोंमें पहला पक्ष ही सिद्धान्तभूत एवं श्रेष्ठ है (अर्थात् दैवके सहयोगके बिना पुरुषार्थ नहीं काम देता है)
utthānaṃ cāpy adaivasya hānutthānaṃ ca daivatam | vyarthaṃ bhavati sarvatra pūrvas tatra viniścayaḥ ||
Kṛpa said: “Effort without the support of destiny comes to nothing; and destiny, when unaccompanied by effort, is equally fruitless. Everywhere people argue these two positions, but here the settled conclusion is that the former is the sounder and higher view: without the concurrence of fate, mere human striving does not succeed.”
कृप उवाच
Educational Q&A
Kṛpa frames the classic debate between daiva (providence) and puruṣakāra (human effort): each is ineffective when isolated. Yet he concludes that effort alone cannot guarantee success without the concurrence of destiny—highlighting humility about outcomes and the limits of agency.
In the Sauptika Parva’s tense aftermath of the night massacre, Kṛpa reflects on causality and responsibility. His statement interprets unfolding events through the lens of fate and effort, suggesting that the catastrophic results are not explained by human action alone but by a larger providential force as well.