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

భీష్ముడు పలికెను—దైవము మరియు మానవప్రయత్నము—ఈ రెండు కర్మలలో ఏది శ్రేష్ఠము? పూర్వకాలమున భగవాన్ వసిష్ఠుడు ఇదే ప్రశ్నను లోకపితామహుడైన బ్రహ్మదేవుని అడిగెను.

Word by Word

दैवमानुषयोःof (the two) divine and human (factors)

किम्what?

स्वित्indeed / I wonder (interrogative particle)

कर्मणोःof (the two) actions (i.e., fate vs human effort)

श्रेष्ठम्superior / best

इतिthus (quotative)

उतand / also (emphatic particle)

पुराformerly / once

वसिष्ठःVasiṣṭha

भगवान्the venerable / blessed one

पितामहम्the Grandfather (Brahmā)

अपृच्छत्asked

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Vasiṣṭha

Brahmā (Pitāmaha)

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 frames a classic dharma-question: whether divine destiny (daiva) or human initiative (mānuṣa/puruṣārtha) is the higher determinant of outcomes. It introduces an authoritative inquiry to Brahmā, preparing for a reasoned resolution grounded in ethical responsibility and cosmic order.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma begins recounting an ancient precedent: the sage Vasiṣṭha once asked Brahmā (Pitāmaha) to decide which is superior—destiny or human effort. This sets up a didactic dialogue meant to guide conduct and judgment.