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

ਮਨੁੱਖੀ ਉਪਰਾਲੇ ਨੂੰ ਦੈਵ ਤੋਂ ਵੱਡਾ ਨਹੀਂ ਕਿਹਾ ਜਾਂਦਾ। ਮਨੁੱਖ ਜਤਨ ਕਰ ਕੇ ਕਰਮ ਕਰੇ ਵੀ, ਤਾਂ ਵੀ ਜੇ ਭਾਗ੍ਯ ਸਾਥ ਨਾ ਦੇਵੇ, ਉਹ ਸਫਲ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੁੰਦਾ।

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.