Shloka 40
Sudeva Identifies Damayantī in Cedi (सुदेवेन दमयन्ती-परिचयः)
न हादैवकृतं किंचिन्नराणामिह विद्यते | न च मे बालभावे5पि किंचित् पापकृतं कृतम्
na hā daivakṛtaṃ kiñcin narāṇām iha vidyate | na ca me bālabhāve 'pi kiñcit pāpakṛtaṃ kṛtam ||
Bṛhadaśva said: “Here, among human beings, nothing at all is done solely by fate. And as for me, even in my childhood I did not commit any sinful deed whatsoever.”
बृहदश्चव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse rejects the idea that human actions are entirely determined by fate (daiva). It emphasizes moral agency and accountability: people are responsible for their deeds, and one should not excuse wrongdoing by blaming destiny.
Bṛhadaśva speaks in a reflective, instructive tone, asserting that events are not merely fate-driven and presenting his own blameless conduct—even from childhood—as an example of ethical self-discipline and responsibility.