Shloka 26

Adhyāya 6: Śibira-dvāra-sthita Bhūta-varṇana and Aśvatthāmā’s Śaraṇāgati to Mahādeva

Devanagari script

न हि दैवाद गरीयो वै मानुषं कर्म कथ्यते । मानुष्यं कुर्वतः कर्म यदि दैवान्न सिध्यति

Transliteration

na hi daivād garīyo vai mānuṣaṃ karma kathyate | mānuṣyaṃ kurvataḥ karma yadi daivān na sidhyati ||

Translation

ದೈವಕ್ಕಿಂತ ಮಾನವಕರ್ಮವೇ ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠವೆಂದು ಹೇಳುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ಮನುಷ್ಯನು ಪ್ರಯತ್ನಪೂರ್ವಕವಾಗಿ ಕರ್ಮ ಮಾಡಿದರೂ, ದೈವ ಸಹಕರಿಸದಿದ್ದರೆ ಅದು ಸಿದ್ಧಿಯಾಗದು।

Word by Word

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• दैवात्: from fate/from the divine (dispensation)
• दैवात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैव
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• गरीयः: greater/weightier
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गरियस्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• वै: indeed/certainly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• मानुषम्: human
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानुष
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• कर्म: action/deed
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• कथ्यते: is said/is called
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ्
• Form: Present, Passive, Third, Singular

• मानुष्यम्: human
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानुष्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कुर्वतः: of (one) doing
• कुर्वतः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Shatru (present active participle), Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• कर्म: action/deed
• कर्म: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• यदि: if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि

• दैवात्: from fate/from the divine (dispensation)
• दैवात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैव
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• सिध्यति: succeeds/is accomplished
• Type: Verb
• Root: सिध्
• Form: Present, Parasmaipada, Third, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse contrasts human agency (mānuṣa-karman) with destiny (daiva), asserting that human effort is not considered stronger than fate; without the concurrence of daiva, actions fail to reach completion.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Sauptika Parva’s aftermath of the night-raid and its consequences, Sañjaya reflects on causality and responsibility, framing events through the tension between personal effort and the overpowering role of destiny.