Question: "Sometimes in the old English Translations of Vaishnava-Puranas the words "fate, destiny" are found. They seem to be out of place and belonging to the Western world.
What is the right word in original Sanskrit Text and what is the right translation?"
Answer by Vishnudut1926: "The right Sanskrit Word is "DAIVA" (दैव - daiva, translated as "GOD, DIVINE") and, of course, it CAN'T be translated as "fate, destiny".
According to Vaishnava-Siddhanta Everything in Ashuddha (material world) and Shuddha Creation (Spiritual World) is situated under The Control of Bhagavan Shree Vishnu and The Laws Promulgated by Bhagavan Shree Vishnu (The Law of Karma, The Law of Dharma).
So, The "DAIVA" (दैव) must be translated as :
"Under The Control of Bhagavan Shree Vishnu",
"Governed by Bhagavan Shree Vishnu",
"Controlled by The Divine Will of Bhagavan Shree Vishnu",
"Under The Divine Command of Bhagavan Shree Vishnu"...
Now, let's train.
The wrong and incorrect translation of the Verse 1.41.107 of "Shree Narada-Purana" (Motilal Banasirdass, 1995 edition, good news is that the translator left Sanskrit word "DAIVA" in brackets, which did not prevent him from wrong translation):
"O Brahmana, this entire universe is submissive to Daiva (fate, destiny). The mobile and immobile beings do only as they are directed by this destiny".
The right translation is:
"O Brahmana, The Entire Universe is submissive to The Divine Laws, Promulgated by Bhagavan Shree Vishnu and everything is situated Under The Divine Control of Bhagavan Shree Vishnu".
If you wish to know more about The Part of Our Vaishnava-Siddhanta, Stating That Only Bhagavan Shree Vishnu is The Sole Supreme Controller, you can refer to The Bhashya of OM VishnuPad Madhwa-Acharya to Upanishads (LINK IN MY LIBRARY).
For example, the Bhashya of OM VishnuPad Madhwa-Acharya to The Verse 01.20 of "Shree Katha-Upanishad":
"The Wise say that The Lord (Bhagavan Shree Vishnu) controls the embodied and unembodied, the bound as well as the liberated jivas.
The ignorant say that Bhagavan Shree Vishnu rules only the living and those souls which are bound, but over the liberated He exercises no control". (page 84 in this Book - LINK).
