Shloka 22
दैव–पुरुषकार-प्रश्नः
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Inquiry: Fate and Human Effort
कृत: पुरुषकारस्तु दैवमेवानुवर्तते । न दैवमकृते किंचित् कस्यचिद् दातुमहति,किया हुआ पुरुषार्थ ही दैवका अनुसरण करता है; परंतु पुरुषार्थ न करनेपर दैव किसीको कुछ नहीं दे सकता
kṛtaḥ puruṣakārastu daivamevānuvartate | na daivamakṛte kiñcit kasyacid dātum arhati ||
ພີດສະມະກ່າວວ່າ: «ເມື່ອໄດ້ກະທຳຄວາມພາກພຽນຂອງມະນຸດ (purushakāra) ແລ້ວ ວາສະນາ (daiva) ຈຶ່ງຕາມມາ. ແຕ່ຖ້າບໍ່ມີຄວາມພາກພຽນ ວາສະນາກໍບໍ່ຄວນໃຫ້ສິ່ງໃດແກ່ໃຜ. ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ຈົ່ງກະທຳດ້ວຍຄວາມແນ່ວແນ່ ແລະຄວາມຮັບຜິດຊອບ; ແລ້ວຈຶ່ງໃຫ້ສິ່ງທີ່ເອີ້ນວ່າ ‘ວາສະນາ’ ເປັນມົນຜົນດີ.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts the primacy of puruṣakāra (human effort): destiny becomes effective only when one acts. Without initiative and work, ‘fate’ cannot be credited with giving results; ethical life requires responsible action rather than fatalism.
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma is instructing Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and right conduct. Here he emphasizes that success and divine favor are aligned with deliberate effort, discouraging passivity and reliance on mere destiny.