Shloka 24
दैव–पुरुषकार-प्रश्नः
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Inquiry: Fate and Human Effort
न दैवतानि लोके5स्मिन् व्यापारं यान्ति कस्यचित् । व्यासडूं जनयन्त्युग्रमात्माभिभवशड्कया
na daivatāni loke 'smin vyāpāraṃ yānti kasyacit | vyāsaduṃ janayanty ugraṃ ātmābhibhavaśaṅkayā ||
ビーシュマは語った。「この世において、神々は誰の事柄にも直接には介入しない。むしろ、真に徳高き者が自分たちを凌ぐことを恐れて、その者の心に激しい執着をかき立て、ダルマの修行に障りを生じさせることがある。」
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse cautions that ethical and spiritual life should not rely on expectations of divine endorsement or intervention; even subtle temptations—like intense attachment—can arise and obstruct dharma, so vigilance and self-mastery are essential.
Bhīṣma, instructing on dharma in the Anuśāsana Parva, explains a moral-psychological dynamic: deities are not portrayed as managing each person’s karmic affairs; instead, obstacles such as powerful attachment may arise, disrupting a virtuous person’s steady pursuit of righteousness.