Shloka 22

Devanagari script

कृत: पुरुषकारस्तु दैवमेवानुवर्तते । न दैवमकृते किंचित्‌ कस्यचिद्‌ दातुमहति,किया हुआ पुरुषार्थ ही दैवका अनुसरण करता है; परंतु पुरुषार्थ न करनेपर दैव किसीको कुछ नहीं दे सकता

Transliteration

kṛtaḥ puruṣakārastu daivamevānuvartate | na daivamakṛte kiñcit kasyacid dātum arhati ||

Translation

చేసిన పురుషార్థమే దైవాన్ని అనుసరింపజేస్తుంది; కానీ పురుషార్థం చేయనిచోట దైవం ఎవరికీ ఏదీ ఇవ్వదగినది కాదు.

Word by Word

कृतःdone, performed

पुरुषकारःhuman effort, exertion

तुbut, indeed

दैवम्fate, divine dispensation

एवonly, indeed

अनुवर्ततेfollows, conforms to

नnot

दैवम्fate, divine dispensation

अकृतेwhen (effort is) not done; in the absence of action

किञ्चित्anything, something

कस्यचित्to anyone

दातुम्to give

अर्हतिis able/fit (to), can

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse asserts the primacy of puruṣakāra (human effort): destiny becomes effective only when one acts. Without initiative and work, ‘fate’ cannot be credited with giving results; ethical life requires responsible action rather than fatalism.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma is instructing Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and right conduct. Here he emphasizes that success and divine favor are aligned with deliberate effort, discouraging passivity and reliance on mere destiny.