Shloka 27

दैवं पुरुषकारेण को वज्चयितुमह्ति दैवमेव परं मन्ये पुरुषार्थो निरर्थक:,“कौन ऐसा मनुष्य है, जो पुरुषार्थके बलसे दैवको वंचित कर सके। मैं तो दैवको ही बड़ा मानता हूँ, पुरुषार्थ व्यर्थ है

daivaṃ puruṣakāreṇa ko vañcayitum arhati? daivam eva paraṃ manye, puruṣārtho nirarthakaḥ.

Vaiśampāyana said: “Who could possibly outwit destiny by the force of human effort? I hold destiny alone to be supreme; mere personal striving, by itself, proves futile.”

दैवम्fate, destiny
दैवम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootदैव (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
पुरुषकारेणby human effort
पुरुषकारेण:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootपुरुषकार (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Singular
कःwho?
कः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootकिम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
वञ्चयितुम्to deceive, to thwart
वञ्चयितुम्:
TypeVerb
Rootवञ्च् (धातु)
Formतुमुन् (infinitive), Parasmaipada/Atmanepada-neutral (infinitive)
अर्हतिis able/fit (to), can
अर्हति:
TypeVerb
Rootअर्ह् (धातु)
FormPresent, Indicative, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada
दैवम्fate, destiny
दैवम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootदैव (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
एवindeed, only
एव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव
परम्supreme, greater
परम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootपर (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
मन्येI think/consider
मन्ये:
TypeVerb
Rootमन्/मन्य् (धातु)
FormPresent, Indicative, First, Singular, Atmanepada
पुरुषार्थःhuman effort
पुरुषार्थः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootपुरुषार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
निरर्थकःuseless, futile
निरर्थकः:
TypeAdjective
Rootनिरर्थक (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular

वैशम्पायन उवाच

V
Vaiśampāyana

Educational Q&A

The verse asserts the supremacy of daiva (destiny/providence) over puruṣakāra (human effort), suggesting that personal striving cannot override what is fated, and warning against overconfidence in one’s agency.

In Vaiśampāyana’s narration, a reflective statement is made emphasizing that outcomes are governed chiefly by destiny; it frames the surrounding events with a fatalistic-philosophical lens, interpreting human plans as limited before providence.