दैव–पुरुषकार-प्रश्नः
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Inquiry: Fate and Human Effort
देवानां शरणं पुण्य॑ सर्व पुण्यैरवाप्यते । पुण्यशील नर प्राप्य कि दैवं प्रकरिष्यति,देवताओंका आश्रय पुण्य ही है। पुण्यसे ही सब कुछ प्राप्त होता है। पुण्यात्मा पुरुषको पाकर दैव क्या करेगा?
devānāṁ śaraṇaṁ puṇyaṁ sarva-puṇyair avāpyate | puṇyaśīlaṁ naraṁ prāpya kiṁ daivaṁ prakariṣyati ||
ພີດສະມະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ສໍາລັບເທວະທັງຫຼາຍ ທີ່ພຶ່ງອັນບໍລິສຸດແທ້ຄື “ບຸນ” (puṇya); ດ້ວຍບຸນ ບຸນອື່ນໆ ແລະຜົນສໍາເລັດທັງປວງກໍໄດ້ມາ. ເມື່ອໄດ້ຄົນຜູ້ມີສີນທໍາແລ້ວ “ຊະຕາ/ໄດວະ” ຈະຍັງເຮັດອັນໃດຕໍ່ຕ້ານເຂົາໄດ້ອີກ?»
भीष्म उवाच
Merit (puṇya) and virtuous character are presented as the strongest protection: they secure all auspicious outcomes and render ‘fate’ ineffective, emphasizing moral agency over fatalism.
Bhishma is instructing on dharma, asserting that even the gods rely on merit as their refuge, and that a person established in virtue is not easily overpowered by destiny.