Shloka 40
दैव–पुरुषकार-प्रश्नः
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Inquiry: Fate and Human Effort
राजर्षि धुन्धुमार यज्ञ करते-करते बूढ़े हो गये तथापि देवताओंके प्रसन्नतापूर्वक दिये हुए वरदानको त्यागकर गिरिवत्रजमें सो गये (यज्ञका फल नहीं पा सके) ।।
rājarṣiḥ dhundhumāraḥ yajñaṃ kurvan kurvan vṛddho 'bhavat tathāpi devatābhiḥ prasannatāpūrvakaṃ dattam varadānaṃ tyaktvā girivraje suṣvāpa (yajñaphalaṃ na prāpa) || pāṇḍavānāṃ hūtaṃ rājyaṃ dhārtarāṣṭra-mahābalaiḥ punaḥ pratyāhṛtaṃ caiva na daivād bhujasaṃśrayāt ||
ພີສະມະເວົ້າວ່າ: ຣາຊະຣິສີ ທຸນທຸມາຣະ ເຖົ້າຊະລາລົງໃນຂະນະທີ່ປະກອບຍັດ; ແຕ່ກໍຍັງລະທິ້ງແມ່ນແຕ່ພອນທີ່ເທວະດາຜູ້ພໍໃຈໄດ້ປະທານ ແລ້ວນອນຫຼັບຢູ່ກິຣິວຣາຊະ; ດັ່ງນັ້ນທ່ານຈຶ່ງບໍ່ໄດ້ຮັບຜົນແຫ່ງຍັດ. ເຊັ່ນດຽວກັນ ບຸດຜູ້ມີພະລັງຫນັກຂອງ ທຣິຕຣາສະຕຣະ ໄດ້ຍຶດອານາຈັກທີ່ປານດະວະໄດ້ມາໂດຍຊອບທຳ; ແລະປານດະວະກໍໄດ້ທວງຄືນມາອີກ ບໍ່ແມ່ນໂດຍພຶ່ງພາຊະຕາ, ແຕ່ໂດຍອາໄສກຳລັງແຂນຂອງຕົນ.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Do not abandon rightful action by leaning on “fate.” Even divine boons or ritual merit become fruitless if one lapses into passivity; success in dharma and kingship requires timely human effort (bhuja-saṃśraya) alongside whatever destiny provides.
Bhishma gives two illustrative cases: (1) the sage-king Dhundhumara, despite long sacrifice and a boon from pleased gods, renounces it and sleeps at Girivraja, losing the sacrifice’s fruit; (2) the Kauravas seize the Pandavas’ kingdom, and the Pandavas regain it through their own strength rather than trusting fate.