Ramayana — Bala Kanda, Sarga 58, Shloka 22
त्रिशङ्कुशापः
Trishanku’s Curse and Appeal to Viśvāmitra
दैवमेव परं मन्ये पौरुषं तु निरर्थकम्।।।।दैवेनाक्रम्यते सर्वं दैवं हि परमा गति:।
daivam eva paraṃ manye pauruṣaṃ tu nirarthakam | daivenākramyate sarvaṃ daivaṃ hi paramā gatiḥ ||
我以天命为至上，人力之功似乎徒然。万事皆为天命所制；天命确是最高的归依。
I consider destiny to be all-powerful. The effort of a man goes in vain. Everything is controlled by destiny. It is the supreme resort.
FAQs
The verse raises the dharmic tension between fate (daiva) and personal responsibility (pauruṣa), prompting reflection on how much agency one has within moral life.
After repeated rejection, Triśaṅku interprets his failure as destiny’s domination and expresses despair about human effort.
Not a virtue but a psychological state is foregrounded—despondency and fatalism born from repeated obstruction.