Shloka 19

Yoga-kṛtya (योककृत्य) — Vyāsa on Sense-Restraint, Obstacles, and Brahman-Realization

Devanagari script

केचित्‌ पुरुषकार तु प्राहु: कर्मसु मानवा: । दैवमित्यपरे विप्रा: स्वभावं भूतचिन्तका:

Transliteration

kecit puruṣakāraṃ tu prāhuḥ karmasu mānavāḥ | daivam ity apare viprāḥ svabhāvaṃ bhūtacintakāḥ ||

Translation

ମନୁଷ୍ୟମାନଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ କେହି କେହି କର୍ମସିଦ୍ଧିରେ ପୁରୁଷକାରକୁ ହିଁ ପ୍ରଧାନ କହନ୍ତି। ଅନ୍ୟ ପଣ୍ଡିତ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣମାନେ ଦୈବକୁ ନିର୍ଣ୍ଣାୟକ ଶକ୍ତି କହନ୍ତି; ଏବଂ ଭୂତଚିନ୍ତକ ନାସ୍ତିକମାନେ ସ୍ୱଭାବକୁ ହିଁ କାର୍ଯ୍ୟସିଦ୍ଧିର କାରଣ ବୋଲି ମନେ କରନ୍ତି।

Word by Word

• केचित्: some (people)
• केचित्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: क- (किम्-प्रातिपदिक; केचित् = के + चित्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पुरुषकारम्: human effort, exertion
• पुरुषकारम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुषकार
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• प्राहुः: say, declare
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + अह् (धा. ‘अह्/ब्रू’ = to say; perfect form)
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• कर्मसु: in actions/works
• कर्मसु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Plural

• मानवाः: men, humans
• मानवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• दैवम्: fate, destiny, divine dispensation
• दैवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैव
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• इति: thus/so (quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• अपरे: others
• अपरे: Karta
• Type: Pronoun/Adjective
• Root: अपर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• विप्राः: brahmins, learned men
• विप्राः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• स्वभावम्: nature, inherent disposition
• स्वभावम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वभाव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• भूतचिन्तकाः: thinkers about (only) elements/beings; materialists
• भूतचिन्तकाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूतचिन्तक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• mānavāḥ (human beings)
• viprāḥ (Brahmins)
• bhūtacintakāḥ (naturalist thinkers)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse presents three competing explanations for the success of actions—personal effort (puruṣakāra), destiny/providence (daiva), and innate nature (svabhāva)—inviting reflection on moral responsibility and how one should attribute outcomes.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s reflective discourse, Vyāsa introduces a philosophical debate by reporting differing viewpoints held by various groups, setting up a broader inquiry into causality, agency, and the grounds for ethical action.