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.
दैवेनेत्थं नियुक्तो ऽस्मि किं करोमीदृशं स्थितम् । समाश्वासनवाग् एषा न दैवं परमार्थतः
I am compelled in this way by fate; what can I do, such is the situation. This speech of consolation is not truly fate in the highest sense.
मूढैः प्रकल्पितं दैवं तत्परास् ते क्षयं गताः । प्राज्ञास् तु पुरुषार्थेन पदम् उत्तमम् आगताः
Fate is imagined by the foolish; those devoted to it have perished. But the wise, through their own effort, have attained the highest state.
ये शूरा ये च विक्रान्ता ये प्राज्ञा ये च पण्डिताः । तैस् तैः कैर् इव लोके ऽस्मिन् वद दैवं प्रचक्ष्यते
Those who are brave, those who are valiant, those who are wise, and those who are learned—tell me, by whom in this world is fate declared?
कालविद्भिर् विनिर्णीता यस्यास्ति चिरजीविता । स चेज् जीवति सञ्छिन्नशिरास् तद् दैवम् उत्तमम्
If someone whose long life has been determined by those who know time still lives after his head is severed, that is the highest fate.
कालविद्भिर् विनिर्णीतं पाण्डित्यं यस्य राघव । अनध्यापित एवासौ तज्ज्ञश् चेद् दैवम् उत्तमम्
If someone whose learning has been determined by those who know time, O Raghava, becomes learned without study, that is the highest fate.
विश्वामित्रेण मुनिना दैवम् उत्सृज्य दूरतः । पौरुषेणैव सम्प्राप्तं ब्राह्मण्यं राम नान्यथा
By the sage Vishvamitra, fate was cast far away; through effort alone, Brahminhood was attained, O Rama, and not otherwise.
अमीभिर् अपरै राम पुरुषैर् मुनितां गतैः । पौरुषेणैव सम्प्राप्ता चिरं गगनगामिता
By these other men, O Rama, who attained the status of sages, the path to the heavens was reached only through effort.
उत्साद्य देवसङ्घातांश् चक्रुस् त्रिभुवनोदरे । पौरुषेणैव यत्नेन साम्राज्यं दानवेश्वराः
Having destroyed the hosts of gods, the lords of the demons made sovereignty in the three worlds, solely through effort and striving.
आलूनशीर्णम् आभोगि जगद् आजह्रुर् ओजसा । पौरुषेणैव यत्नेन दानवेभ्यस् सुरेश्वराः
The lords of the gods seized the world, which had been ravaged and plundered, from the demons by their own vigor, through human effort and striving.
राम पौरुषयुक्त्यैव सलिलं धार्यते न वा । चिरं करण्डके युक्त्या न दैवं तत्र कारणम्
Rama, water is held in a vessel only by means of effort and method, not by fate; it remains for a long time in a pitcher due to technique, not because of destiny.