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.
हरणादानसंरम्भविभ्रमभ्रमभूमिषु । शक्तता दृश्यते राम न दैवस्यौषधेर् इव
In the realms of taking, giving, striving, confusion, and wandering, Rama, ability is seen—not fate, just as with medicine.
सकलकारणकार्यविवर्जितं निजविकल्पवशाद् उपकल्पितम् । त्वम् अनवेक्ष्य हि दैवम् असन्मयं श्रय शुभाशय पौरुषम् उत्तमम्
All causes and effects are absent; what is imagined arises from your own thought. Without considering fate, which is unreal, O you of auspicious intent, rely on supreme human effort.
भगवन् सर्वधर्मज्ञ प्रतिष्ठाम् अलम् आगतम् । यल् लोके तद् वद ब्रह्मन् दैवम् एवं किम् उच्यते
O Lord, knower of all dharmas, the foundation has been well established; tell me, O Brahman, what is called fate in this world?
पौरुषं सर्वकार्याणां कर्तृ राघव नेतरत् । फलभोक्तृ च सर्वत्र न दैवं तत्र कारणम्
Raghava, human effort is the agent of all actions, not anything else; everywhere, it is the enjoyer of results, not fate as the cause.
दैवं न किञ्चित् कुरुते न च भुङ्क्ते न विद्यते । न दृश्यते नाद्रियते केवलं कल्पनेदृशी
Fate does nothing, nor does it enjoy, nor does it exist; it is not seen, not respected—only such an imagination.
सिद्धस्य पौरुषेणेह फलस्य फलशालिनाम् । शुभाशुभा वा सम्पत्तिर् दैवशब्देन कथ्यते
For those who bear fruit, the accomplishment of results here is through human effort; whether auspicious or inauspicious, prosperity is spoken of by the word 'fate.'
पौरुषोपनता नित्यम् इष्टानिष्टस्य वस्तुनः । प्राप्तिर् इष्टाप्य् अनिष्टा वा दैवशब्देन कथ्यते
The attainment of desirable or undesirable things, always brought about by human effort, is what is referred to by the word 'fate'.
भावी त्व् अवश्यम् एवार्थः पुरुषार्थैकसाधनः । यस् सो ऽस्मिंल् लोकसङ्घाते दैवशब्देन कथ्यते
Whatever result is bound to happen, as the sole outcome of human endeavor, that in this assembly of the world is called 'fate'.
न तु राघव लोकस्य कस्यचित् किञ्चिद् एव हि । दैवम् आकाशकल्पं हि करोति न करोति वा
But, O Raghava, in truth, fate does not do anything at all for anyone in the world; it is like space—whether it acts or not, it makes no difference.
पुरुषार्थस्य सिद्धस्य शुभाशुभफलोदये । इदम् इत्थं स्थितिर् इति योक्तिस् तद् दैवम् उच्यते
When the result, auspicious or inauspicious, of accomplished human effort arises, the reasoning that 'this is how things stand' is what is called fate.
इत्थं ममाभवद् बुद्धिर् इत्थं मे निश्चयो ह्य् अभूत् । इति कर्मफलावाप्तिर् योक्तिस् तद् दैवम् उच्यते
The thought, 'Thus was my understanding, thus was my resolve,' and the attainment of the result of action—this reasoning is what is called fate.
इष्टानिष्टफलावाप्ताव् एवम् इत्यर्थवाचकम् । आश्वासनामात्रवचो दैवम् इत्य् एव कथ्यते
The expression 'thus' regarding the attainment of desirable or undesirable results is merely a word of consolation; this alone is what is called fate.
भगवन् सर्वधर्मज्ञ प्राग् यत् कर्मोपसञ्चितम् । तद् एतद् दैवम् इत्य् उक्तम् अपमृष्टं कथं त्वया
O Lord, knower of all dharmas, the actions previously accumulated—this is what is called fate; how have you dismissed it?
साधु राघव जानासि शृणु वक्ष्यामि ते ऽखिलम् । दैवं नास्तीति ते येन स्थिरा बुद्धिर् भविष्यति
Well said, Raghava, you understand; listen, I will tell you everything, so that your understanding will become firm in the view that fate does not exist.
या मग्ना वासना पूर्वं बभूव किल भूरिशः । सैवेयं कर्मभावेन नॄणां परिणतिं गता
The inclination that was once deeply embedded in the past has now, through the force of action, reached its fruition in people.
जन्तुर् यद्वासनो नाम तत्कर्मा भवति क्षणात् । अन्यकर्मान्यभावश् चेत्य् एतन् नैवोपपद्यते
A creature’s actions instantly follow its inherent tendencies; the absence of other actions or tendencies does not occur.
ग्रामगो ग्रामम् आप्नोति पत्तनार्थी च पत्तनम् । यो यो यद्वासनस् तत् तत् स स प्रयतते तथा
One who desires a village attains a village; one who seeks a city attains a city. Each strives according to their own inclination.
यद् एव तीव्रसंवेगाद् इह कर्म कृतं पुरा । तद् एव दैवशब्देन पर्यायेण हि कथ्यते
Whatever actions were performed here in the past with intense resolve are, by convention, referred to as 'destiny.'
एवं दैवं स्वकर्माणि कर्म प्रौढा स्ववासना । वासना मनसो नान्या मनो हि पुरुषस् स्मृतः
Thus, destiny is one’s own actions; actions are the mature form of one’s inclinations. Inclination is not different from the mind, for the mind is regarded as the person.
यद् दैवं तानि कर्माणि कर्म साधो मनो हि तत् । मनो हि पुरुषस् तस्माद् दैवं नास्तीति निश्चयः
What is called destiny is simply those actions; action, indeed, is the mind. Since the mind is the person, it is certain that destiny does not exist apart from it.