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Shloka 8

दैव–पुरुषकार-प्रश्नः

Daiva–Puruṣakāra Inquiry: Fate and Human Effort

क्षेत्र पुरुषकारस्तु दैवं बीजमुदाहतम्‌ । क्षेत्रत्रीणसमायोगात्‌ ततः सस्यं समृद्ध्यते,पुरुषार्थ खेत है और दैवको बीज बताया गया है। खेत और बीजके संयोगसे ही अनाज पैदा होता है

kṣetraṁ puruṣakāras tu daivaṁ bījam udāhṛtam | kṣetra-bīja-samāyogāt tataḥ sasyaṁ samṛddhyate ||

毗湿摩说道:“人的努力如同田地,而命运(神秘的天分)被称作种子。唯有田与种相合,庄稼方能真正繁茂。”

क्षेत्रम्field
क्षेत्रम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootक्षेत्र
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
पुरुषकारःhuman effort
पुरुषकारः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootपुरुषकार
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
तुbut/indeed
तु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु
दैवम्fate/divine factor
दैवम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootदैव
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
बीजम्seed
बीजम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootबीज
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
उदाहतम्is said/declared
उदाहतम्:
TypeVerb
Rootउद्-आ-हन्
Formक्त (past passive participle), Neuter, Nominative, Singular
क्षेत्रof the field
क्षेत्र:
TypeNoun
Rootक्षेत्र
FormNeuter, Genitive, Singular
त्रीणाम्of three
त्रीणाम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootत्रि
FormMasculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural
समायोगात्from the conjunction/combination
समायोगात्:
Apadana
TypeNoun
Rootसमायोग
FormMasculine, Ablative, Singular
ततःthen/thereupon
ततः:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootततः
सस्यम्crop/grain
सस्यम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootसस्य
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
समृद्ध्यतेprospers/grows well
समृद्ध्यते:
TypeVerb
Rootसम्-ऋध्
FormLat (present), Atmanepada, Third, Singular

भीष्म उवाच

B
Bhishma
F
field (kṣetra)
S
seed (bīja)
D
destiny (daiva)
H
human effort (puruṣakāra)
C
crop/grain (sasya)

Educational Q&A

Bhishma teaches that outcomes depend on both puruṣakāra (human effort) and daiva (destiny/divine allotment). Effort provides the ‘field’ where results can grow, while destiny is like the ‘seed’ that enables fruition; prosperity arises from their conjunction.

In Bhishma’s instruction within the Anushasana Parva, he uses an agricultural metaphor—field, seed, and crop—to explain to his listener how moral and practical results in life emerge through the combined operation of personal striving and fate.