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

بھیشم نے کہا—دَیو (تقدیر) اور انسانی کوشش—ان دونوں اعمال میں کون سا برتر ہے؟ قدیم زمانے میں بھگوان وسِشٹھ نے یہی سوال لوک پِتامہ برہما سے کیا تھا۔

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.