Shloka 86

Sarasvatī–Tārkṣya Saṃvāda: Agnihotra-vidhi, Dāna-phala, and Mokṣa-prasaṅga (सरस्वती–तार्क्ष्यसंवादः)

Devanagari script

किंचिद्‌ दैवाद्धठात्‌ किंचित्‌ किंचिदेव स्वकर्मभि: । प्राप्रुवन्ति नरा राजन्‌ मा ते<स्त्वन्या विचारणा,राजन! विवेकी मनुष्य कर्मोंका कुछ फल प्रारब्धवश प्राप्त करते हैं, कुछ कर्मोका फल हठात्‌ प्राप्त होता है और कुछ कर्मोंका फल अपने उद्योगसे ही प्राप्त होता है। इस विषयमें तुम्हें कोई अन्यथा विचार नहीं करना चाहिये

Transliteration

kiñcid daivād dhaṭhāt kiñcit kiñcid eva svakarmabhiḥ | prāpnuvanti narā rājan mā te 'stv anyā vicāraṇā ||

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya said: “O King, people obtain some results by destiny, some results suddenly and unexpectedly, and some results through their own actions and effort. Therefore, you should not entertain any contrary notion about this matter.”

Word by Word

• {'kiñcit': 'some, a certain portion', 'daivāt': 'from fate

• by divine dispensation (daiva)', 'dhaṭhāt': 'suddenly

• abruptly', 'svakarmabhiḥ': 'by one’s own actions/deeds

• through personal effort', 'prāpnuvanti': 'they obtain

• they attain', 'narāḥ': 'people

• men', 'rājan': 'O king (vocative)', 'mā': 'do not (prohibitive particle)', 'te': 'for you

• your', 'astu': 'let it be

• may it be', 'anyā': 'other

• contrary', 'vicāraṇā': 'consideration

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• King (rājan)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches a balanced view of causality: outcomes in life arise from a mix of destiny (daiva), sudden unforeseen turns (dhaṭhāt), and one’s own actions (svakarma). Hence one should not cling to a one-sided or mistaken theory that explains everything by only one factor.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya is instructing a king, offering counsel on how to understand success and failure. He frames the king’s situation within a broader ethical-philosophical perspective, urging him to avoid misguided conclusions and to accept the complex interplay of fate and effort.