Shloka 47
दैव–पुरुषकार-प्रश्नः
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Inquiry: Fate and Human Effort
न च फलति विकर्मा जीवलोके न दैवं व्यपनयति विमार्ग नास्ति दैवे प्रभुत्वम् | गुरुमिव कृतमग्रयं कर्म संयाति दैवं नयति पुरुषकार: संचितस्तत्र तत्र
na ca phalati vikarmā jīvaloke na daivaṁ vyapanayati vimārgaṁ nāsti daive prabhutvam | gurum iva kṛtam agryaṁ karma saṁyāti daivaṁ nayati puruṣakāraḥ saṁcitas tatra tatra ||
Itinuro ni Bhishma: Sa daigdig ng may buhay, ang taong walang pagsisikap ay hindi kailanman tunay na uunlad. Wala ring gayong sariling kapangyarihan ang tadhana upang hilahin ang tamad mula sa maling landas at itindig siya sa tama. Sa halip, sumusunod ang tadhana sa pagkilos ng tao: gaya ng alagad na lumalakad na ang guro ang nasa unahan, gayon din ang kapalaran—nasa likod ng pagpupunyagi. Ang naipong pagsisikap ang siyang nagdadala sa “tadhana” saan man ito itinutulak.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Human effort (puruṣakāra) is primary: prosperity and moral progress do not come to the idle, and ‘fate’ is not an independent ruler that can reform a person by itself. Destiny is portrayed as following behind one’s accumulated actions and exertions.
Bhishma is instructing on dharma and right conduct, emphasizing ethical responsibility. In this teaching passage he argues against fatalism, explaining that personal initiative leads and what people call ‘daiva’ follows the momentum created by one’s deeds.