Mahabharata · 1.196.15–16
॥
Devanāgarī
न मित्राण्य् अर्थकृच्छ्रेषु श्रेयसे वेतराय वा ॥
विधिपूर्वं हि सर्वस्य दुःखं वा यदि वा सुखम् ॥
कृतप्रज्ञो ऽकृतप्रज्ञो बालो वृद्धश् च मानवः ॥
ससहायो ऽसहायश् च सर्वं सर्वत्र विन्दति ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
na mitrāṇy arthakṛcchreṣu śreyase vetarāya vā ||
vidhipūrvaṃ hi sarvasya duḥkhaṃ vā yadi vā sukham ||
kṛtaprajño 'kṛtaprajño bālo vṛddhaś ca mānavaḥ ||
sasahāyo 'sahāyaś ca sarvaṃ sarvatra vindati ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
न मित्राणि अर्थकृच्छ्रेषु श्रेयसे वा इतराय वाna mitrāṇi arthakṛcchreṣu śreyase vā itarāya vāFriends are not the cause, in financial straits, of either good or its opposite;
विधिपूर्वं हि सर्वस्य दुःखं वा यदि वा सुखम्vidhipūrvaṃ hi sarvasya duḥkhaṃ vā yadi vā sukhamfor everyone's fate is fore-ordained — whether sorrow or happiness;
कृतप्रज्ञः अकृतप्रज्ञः बालः वृद्धः च मानवःkṛtaprajñaḥ akṛtaprajñaḥ bālaḥ vṛddhaḥ ca mānavaḥthe wise and the unwise, child and elder alike,
ससहायः असहायः च सर्वं सर्वत्र विन्दतिsasahāyaḥ asahāyaḥ ca sarvaṃ sarvatra vindatiwith help or without help — everyone obtains everything everywhere [according to fate];
मित्राण्य्mitrāṇyoriginal form "mitrāṇy", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वेतरायvetarāyaoriginal form "vetarāya", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कृतप्रज्ञोkṛtaprajñooriginal form "kṛtaprajño", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽकृतप्रज्ञो'kṛtaprajñooriginal form "'kṛtaprajño", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
बालोbālooriginal form "bālo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वृद्धश्vṛddhaśoriginal form "vṛddhaś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ससहायोsasahāyooriginal form "sasahāyo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽसहायश्'sahāyaśoriginal form "'sahāyaś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"Friends, in financial straits, are not the cause of either good or its opposite; for in everyone's case, sorrow or happiness alike is fore-ordained; the wise and the unwise, child and elder, with help or without help — everyone obtains everything everywhere according to fate."
Version
6223e5a76eab · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:54:01 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the truth about fate is twisted into a justification for willfulness. It is significant that Karna, even while speaking truly of the all-governing power of fore-ordination, turns it toward evil: "since all comes from fate, the counsel of the righteous is needless." The lesson here is that even sound teaching, distorted by cunning, leads to ruin, for fate does not annul dharma and duty. Thus scripture shows the abuse of truth; and Karna's fatalism serves as a cover for wrongdoing.