Shloka 12

दैव–पुरुषकार-प्रश्नः

Daiva–Puruṣakāra Inquiry: Fate and Human Effort

Devanagari script

तपसा रूपसौभाग्यं रत्नानि विविधानि च । प्राप्पते कर्मणा सर्व न दैवादकृतात्मना

Transliteration

Bhīṣma uvāca — tapasā rūpa-saubhāgyaṁ ratnāni vividhāni ca | prāpyate karmaṇā sarvaṁ na daivād akṛtātmanā ||

Translation

毗湿摩说：以苦行可得容色与福泽，亦可得种种珍宝。诚然，一切皆由自身作为而得；而不自律、只倚赖命运而坐等之人，终将一无所得。

Word by Word

• तपसा: by austerity
• तपसा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• रूपसौभाग्यम्: beauty and good fortune
• रूपसौभाग्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप + सौभाग्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• रत्नानि: gems
• रत्नानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्न
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Plural

• विविधानि: various
• विविधानि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• प्राप्यते: is obtained
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप्
• Form: Present, Passive, Third, Singular

• कर्मणा: by action
• कर्मणा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

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

• दैवात्: from fate / by mere destiny
• दैवात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैव
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• अकृतात्मना: by one who is undisciplined / inactive
• अकृतात्मना: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अकृतात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Results such as prosperity, beauty, and valuable attainments come primarily through tapas (disciplined effort) and karma (personal action). Mere dependence on fate, especially without self-discipline, yields no achievement.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s instruction (Anushasana Parva), he emphasizes an ethical principle for the listener: cultivate self-control and sustained effort, rather than passively attributing outcomes to destiny.