Shloka 25
भीष्मस्य दुर्योधनं प्रति कुलहितोपदेशः | Bhīṣma’s Counsel to Duryodhana on Dynastic Welfare
एवं वै भाव्यमेतेन क्षयं यास्यन्ति कौरवा: । यथा त्वं भाषसे कर्ण दैवं तु बलवत्तरम्
evaṃ vai bhāvyametena kṣayaṃ yāsyanti kauravāḥ | yathā tvaṃ bhāṣase karṇa daivaṃ tu balavattaram ||
ਨਿਸ਼ਚੇ ਹੀ ਐਸਾ ਹੀ ਹੋਣਾ ਹੈ—ਇਸੇ ਰਾਹੀਂ ਕੌਰਵ ਨਾਸ ਨੂੰ ਪ੍ਰਾਪਤ ਹੋਣਗੇ। ਜਿਵੇਂ ਤੂੰ ਕਹਿੰਦਾ ਹੈਂ, ਕਰਨ; ਪਰ ਦੈਵ ਹੀ ਵਧੇਰੇ ਬਲਵਾਨ ਨਿਕਲਦਾ ਹੈ।
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the tension between human counsel and destiny: even when a person’s reasoning is sound, the outcome may still be governed by daiva (fate), which is portrayed here as stronger—yet this does not erase ethical accountability for the choices that lead toward ruin.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Karṇa is addressed as his assessment of events is acknowledged: the speaker agrees that the Kauravas are headed toward destruction by their present course, while also remarking that fate appears to overpower human intention and advice.