Shloka 19

हीन॑ पुरुषकारेण यदि दैवेन वा पुनः । कारणाभ्यामथैताभ्यामुत्थानमफलं भवेत्‌,पुरुषार्थहीन दैव अथवा दैवहीन पुरुषार्थ--इन दो ही कारणोंसे मनुष्यका उद्योग निष्फल होता है

hīnaḥ puruṣakāreṇa yadi daivena vā punaḥ | kāraṇābhyām athaitābhyām utthānam aphalaṁ bhavet ||

หากผู้ใดขาดความเพียรของตน หรืออีกประการหนึ่งคือขาดวาสนาอันเกื้อหนุน ด้วยเหตุสองประการนี้ประการใดประการหนึ่ง การลุกขึ้นประกอบกิจ—ความอุตสาหะของเขา—ย่อมไร้ผล

हीनःdevoid (of), lacking
हीनः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootहीन (ppp of √हा)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
पुरुषकारेणby human effort
पुरुषकारेण:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootपुरुषकार
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Singular
यदिif
यदि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयदि
दैवेनby fate/divine dispensation
दैवेन:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootदैव
FormNeuter, Instrumental, Singular
वाor
वा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा
पुनःagain; moreover
पुनः:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपुनः
कारणाभ्याम्by (the) two causes
कारणाभ्याम्:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootकारण
FormNeuter, Instrumental, Dual
अथthen; now
अथ:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअथ
एताभ्याम्by these two
एताभ्याम्:
Karana
TypePronoun
Rootएतद्
FormNeuter, Instrumental, Dual
उत्थानम्exertion; enterprise; effort
उत्थानम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootउत्थान
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
अफलम्fruitless
अफलम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootअफल
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
भवेत्would be; may become
भवेत्:
TypeVerb
Root√भू
FormPotential (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

कृप उवाच

K
Kṛpa

Educational Q&A

The verse teaches that effective action depends on both puruṣakāra (human effort) and daiva (destiny). If either is lacking, one’s enterprise (utthāna) can become aphala—without results—highlighting a balanced view of responsibility and the limits of control.

In the Sauptika Parva, Kṛpa is speaking in the aftermath of the war’s devastation, reflecting on why undertakings succeed or fail. His counsel frames the coming decisions by weighing human agency against the unpredictable force of fate.