Shloka 11
दैव–पुरुषकार-प्रश्नः
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Inquiry: Fate and Human Effort
कृती सर्वत्र लभते प्रतिष्ठां भाग्यसंयुताम् । अकृती लभते भ्रष्ट: क्षते क्षारावसेचनम्
kṛtī sarvatra labhate pratiṣṭhāṃ bhāgyasaṃyutām | akṛtī labhate bhraṣṭaḥ kṣate kṣārāvasecanam ||
باہمت اور محنتی شخص نیک بختی کے سہارے ہر جگہ عزت پاتا ہے؛ مگر ناکارہ اور سست آدمی احترام سے گِر کر ایسا دکھ پاتا ہے جیسے زخم پر نمک چھڑک دیا جائے۔
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma teaches that personal capability and sustained effort lead to honour and stability, often aided by fortune; whereas idleness or incompetence results in loss of standing and compounded suffering—pain added to pain, like salt on a wound.
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and right conduct. Here he uses a sharp proverb-like comparison to contrast the outcomes of industriousness versus inactivity, emphasizing ethical self-discipline and responsibility.