Shloka 19

Pūjya-namaskārya-prakaraṇa

On Those Worthy of Honor and Salutation

Devanagari script

नूनं दैव॑ न शक्‍्यं हि पौरुषेणातिवर्तितुम्‌

Transliteration

nūnaṃ daivaṃ na śakyaṃ hi pauruṣeṇātivartitum

Translation

มาตังคะกล่าวว่า “แท้จริงแล้ว ลิขิตแห่งเทวะย่อมไม่อาจก้าวข้ามได้ด้วยความเพียรของมนุษย์ มนุษย์พึงกระทำด้วยความมุ่งมั่น แต่ผลสุดท้ายมักอยู่นอกอำนาจตน จึงควรมีความนอบน้อมและความมั่นคงในธรรม”

Word by Word

• नूनम्: surely, indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नूनम्

• दैवम्: fate, destiny (the divine dispensation)
• दैवम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैव
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• शक्यम्: possible, able to be (done/overcome)
• शक्यम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• हि: indeed, for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• पौरुषेण: by human effort/valor
• पौरुषेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौरुष
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• अतिवर्तितुम्: to overstep, to overcome, to pass beyond
• अतिवर्तितुम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: अति√वृत्
• Form: Infinitive

Speaker

मतंग उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Matanga

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches the limits of personal agency: human effort (pauruṣa) is necessary for righteous action, yet destiny (daiva) may not be fully overridden. Ethically, it encourages perseverance without arrogance and acceptance without abandoning duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Matanga is speaking reflectively, drawing a conclusion about the power of daiva (destiny). The line functions as a moral observation within the discourse of Anuśāsana Parva, emphasizing how outcomes may remain beyond one’s control even when one strives.