Shloka 3

दैव–पुरुषकार-प्रश्नः

Daiva–Puruṣakāra Inquiry: Fate and Human Effort

Devanagari script

दैवमानुषयो: किंस्वित्‌ कर्मणो: श्रेष्ठमित्युत । पुरा वसिष्ठो भगवान्‌ पितामहमपृच्छत,प्राचीन कालकी बात है, भगवान्‌ वसिष्ठने लोकपितामह ब्रह्माजीसे पूछा--'प्रभो! दैव और पुरुषार्थमें कौन श्रेष्ठ है?

Transliteration

daivamānuṣayoḥ kiṃ svit karmaṇoḥ śreṣṭham ity uta | purā vasiṣṭho bhagavān pitāmaham apṛcchat ||

Translation

Бхишма сказал: «Что же превосходнее — дайва или пурушакāра? В древние времена почтенный мудрец Васиштха задал этот самый вопрос Питамахе Брахме».

Word by Word

• दैवमानुषयोः: of (the two) divine and human (factors)
• दैवमानुषयोः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैव + मानुष
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Dual

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• स्वित्: indeed / I wonder (interrogative particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वित्

• कर्मणोः: of (the two) actions (i.e., fate vs human effort)
• कर्मणोः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Dual

• श्रेष्ठम्: superior / best
• श्रेष्ठम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

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

• उत: and / also (emphatic particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत

• पुरा: formerly / once
• पुरा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा

• वसिष्ठः: Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भगवान्: the venerable / blessed one
• भगवान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भगवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पितामहम्: the Grandfather (Brahmā)
• पितामहम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अपृच्छत्: asked
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Vasiṣṭha
• Brahmā (Pitāmaha)