पुरुषार्थस्य सिद्धस्य शुभाशुभफलोदये । इदमित्थं स्थितमिति योक्तिस्तद्दैवमुच्यते ॥ ८ ॥
puruṣārthasya siddhasya śubhāśubhaphalōdayē | idamitthaṁ sthitamiti yōktistaddaivamucyatē || 8 ||
Translation
When a good or bad fruit arises from an effort already accomplished, the saying "this is how it stands": that is called fate.
Word by word
- puruṣārthasya
- from an effort
- siddhasya
- already accomplished
- śubha
- a good
- aśubha
- or bad
- phala
- fruit
- udayē
- when arises
- idam
- this
- itthaṁ
- how
- sthitam
- it stands
- iti
- the saying
- yōktis
- (yā uktiḥ) what is said
- tad
- (tat) that
- daivam
- fate
- ucyatē
- is called
Meaning
The earlier thought (2.8.2) returns. Fruit comes, and a remark comes with it. "So that is how it is." The remark is what is called fate. Vasiṣṭha keeps returning to speech because he wants the reader to catch the word at work. One way to practise this verse is to notice, for a day, each time one says "that's just how things are", and to ask what was done, by whom, that made them so.