प्रत्यक्षप्रमुखान् नित्यं प्रमाणात् पौरुषः क्रमः । फलतो दृश्यते लोके देशान्तरगमादिकः
The sequence of effort is always established by direct perception and other means of knowledge; in the world, results such as traveling to distant lands are seen to arise from effort.
भोक्ता तृप्यति नाभोक्ता गन्ता गच्छति नागतिः । वक्ता वक्ति न चावक्ता पौरुषं सफलं नृणाम्
The one who eats is satisfied, not the one who does not eat; the one who goes reaches, not the one who does not go; the one who speaks speaks, not the one who does not speak—thus, effort bears fruit for people.
पौरुषेण दुरन्तेभ्यस् सङ्कटेभ्यस् सुबुद्धयः । समुत्तरन्त्य् अयत्नेन न तु मूकतयानया
Those of clear understanding cross over great difficulties by effort, not by remaining silent and inactive.
यो यो यथा प्रयतते स स तद्वत् फलैकभाक् । न तु तूष्णीं स्थितेनेह केनचित् प्राप्यते फलम्
Whoever makes effort in whatever way, he alone receives the corresponding result; but here, no result is attained by anyone who merely remains silent.
शुभेन पुरुषार्थेन शुभम् आसाद्यते फलम् । अशुभेनाशुभं राम यथेच्छसि तथा कुरु
By virtuous human effort, a virtuous result is obtained; by non-virtuous effort, a non-virtuous result, O Rama—do as you wish.
पुरुषार्थफलप्राप्तिर् देशकालवशाद् इह । प्राप्ता चिरेण शीघ्रं वा यासौ दैवम् इति स्मृता
The attainment of the fruit of human effort here depends on place and time; whether attained after a long time or quickly, that is what is called fate.
न दैवं दृश्यते दृष्ट्या न च लोकान्तरे स्थितम् । उक्तं दैवाभिधानेन स्वं लोके कर्मणः फलम्
Fate is not seen by perception, nor is it situated in another world; what is called 'fate' is, in this world, simply the result of one's own actions.
पुरुषो जायते लोके वर्धते क्षीयते पुनः । न तत्र दृश्यते दैवं जरायौवनबाल्यवान्
A person is born in this world, grows, and then declines; in this, fate is not seen—whether in childhood, youth, or old age.
देशाद् देशान्तरप्राप्तिर् हस्तस्थद्रव्यधारणम् । व्यापारश् च तथाङ्गानां पौरुषेण न दैवतः
Traveling from one place to another, holding objects in the hand, and the movement of limbs—these occur through personal effort, not by fate.
अर्थप्रापककार्यैकप्रयत्नपरता बुधैः । प्रोक्ता पौरुषशब्देन सर्वम् आसाद्यते ऽनया
The wise describe as 'personal effort' the single-minded pursuit of actions that bring about desired results; by this, everything is attained.
अनर्थप्राप्तिकार्यैकप्रयत्नपरता तु या । सोक्ता प्रोन्मत्तचेष्टेति न किञ्चित् प्राप्यते ऽनया
But the single-minded pursuit of actions that bring about misfortune is called the activity of the deluded; by this, nothing is gained.
क्रियायास् स्पन्दधर्मिण्यास् स्वार्थसाधकता स्वयम् । साधुसङ्गमसच्छास्त्रतीक्ष्णयोन्नीयते धिया
The capacity of action, which is characterized by movement and effort toward one's own purpose, is elevated by sharp intellect, good company, and true scriptures.
अनन्तं समतानन्दं परमार्थं स्वकं विदुः । तद् येभ्यः प्राप्यते यत्नात् ते सेव्याश् शास्त्रसाधवः
Those who know their own supreme reality as infinite, equal, and blissful—by effort, that is attained from them; such teachers of true scripture are to be served.
सच्छास्त्रादिगुणो मत्या सच्छास्त्रादिगुणान् मतिः । वर्धेते ते मिथो ऽभ्यासात् सरोब्दाव् इव कालतः
The qualities of true scripture and the intellect mutually enhance each other through practice, just as a lake and rainwater increase each other over time.
आ बाल्याद् अलम् अभ्यस्तैश् शास्त्रसत्सङ्गमादिभिः । गुणैः पुरुषयत्नेन स्वो ऽर्थस् सम्प्राप्यते हितः
From childhood, through diligent practice of scriptures, association with the virtuous, and similar qualities, a person, by their own effort, attains their beneficial purpose.
पौरुषेण जिता दैत्यास् स्थापिता भुवनक्रियाः । रचितानि जगन्तीह विष्णुना न तु दैवतः
By human effort, demons have been conquered, the workings of the worlds established, and the realms created here by Vishnu—not by fate.
जगति पुरुषकारकारणे ऽस्मिन् कुरु रघुनाथ चिरं तथा प्रयत्नम् । व्रजसि तरुसरीसृपाभिधानां सुभग यथा न दशाम् अशङ्क एव
In this world, where human effort is the cause, O Raghunatha, strive long and diligently; then, O fortunate one, you will not fall into the condition of trees or reptiles, nor need you fear such a fate.
नाकृतिर् न च कर्माणि नास्पदं न पराक्रमः । तन् मिथ्याज्ञानवत् प्रौढं दैवं नाम किम् उच्यते
Neither form, nor actions, nor place, nor valor—none of these are the so-called fate; what, then, is this fate, spoken of as if it were real, but rooted in false understanding?
स्वकर्मफलसम्प्राप्ताव् इदम् इत्थम् इतीव याः । गिरस् ता दैवनाम्नैताः प्रसिद्धिं समुपागताः
When one receives the results of their own actions and says, 'It happened this way,' such statements have gained widespread acceptance under the name of fate.
तथैव मूढमतिभिर् दैवम् अस्तीति निश्चयः । आत्तो दुरवबोधेन रज्जाव् इव भुजङ्गमः
Likewise, those of dull intellect, with difficulty in understanding, firmly believe in fate, just as one mistakes a rope for a snake.
ह्यस्तनी दुष्क्रियाभ्येति शोभां सत्क्रियया यथा । अद्यैवं प्राक्तनी तस्माद् यत्नात् सत्कार्यवान् भव
Just as yesterday's misdeeds are adorned by today's good actions, so too, past actions are transformed; therefore, strive to be a doer of good deeds.
मूढानुमानसंसिद्धं दैवं यस्यास्ति दुर्मतेः । दैवाद् दाहो ऽस्तु मा वेति वक्तव्यं तेन पावके
For the misguided person who believes in fate based on foolish inference, should a fire arise, he ought to say, 'Let it burn or not burn by fate,' to the flames.
दैवम् एवेह चेत् कर्म पुंसः किम् इव चेष्टया । स्नानदानाशनाचारं दैवम् एव करिष्यति
If destiny alone is the cause of action here, what purpose is served by a person's effort? Destiny itself would perform bathing, giving, eating, and all conduct.
किं वा शास्त्रोपदेशेन मूको ऽयं पुरुषः किल । सञ्चार्यते तु दैवेन किं कस्येहोपदिश्यते
What use is scriptural instruction if this person is like one mute? He is moved only by destiny—so what is there to teach, and to whom?
न च निस्स्पन्दता लोके दृष्टेह शवतां विना । स्पन्दाश् च फलसम्प्राप्तिस् तस्माद् दैवं निरर्थकम्
And in this world, stillness is not seen except among the dead; and movement brings about the attainment of results—therefore, destiny is meaningless.
न चामूर्तेन दैवेन मूर्तस्य सहकर्तृता । हस्तादीन् ईहतश् चैव न दैवेन क्वचित् कृतम्
Nor does the formless destiny act as a helper for the embodied; actions of the hands and so on arise from effort, and are never done by destiny.
मनोबुद्धिवद् अप्य् एतद् दैवं नेहानुभूयते । आगोपालं किल प्राज्ञैस् तेन दैवम् असत् सदा
Even as mind and intellect are experienced here, this destiny is not perceived; the wise say that destiny is like a cowherd—thus, destiny is always unreal.
बुद्धेश् चेत् पृथग् अन्यो ऽर्थस् सैव चेत् कान्यता तयोः । कल्पना वा प्रमाणं चेत् पौरुषं किं न कल्प्यते
If there is some other entity apart from the intellect, and if it is that, what difference is there between the two? If imagination is the authority, why is not human effort imagined as well?
नामूर्तेस् तेन सङ्गो ऽस्ति नभसेव वपुष्मतः । मूर्तं च दृश्यते लग्नं तस्माद् दैवं न विद्यते
There is no connection of the formless with the embodied, just as the sky has none with the corporeal; and the embodied is seen to be attached—therefore, destiny does not exist.
विनियोक्ताथ भूतानाम् अस्त्य् अन्यस् तज् जगत्त्रये । शेरतां भूतवृन्दानि दैवं सर्वं करिष्यति
If there is indeed another who assigns functions to beings in the three worlds, then let destiny make all beings sleep—let destiny do everything.