Are daiva, adhidaiva and divine will the same thing?

Podcast:

Is Daiva connected to Adhidaivik? And is Daiva the same as saying “God’s hands” or simply God? It depends. Firstly, Daiva and Adhidaiva don’t necessarily mean the same thing.

Daiva basically means destiny. Adhidaiva refers to one of the three spheres or coverings in which the soul is encased in the material world. The other two are Adhibhuta and Adhiatma. This means the soul is encircled by the body-mind sheath—that is Adhiatma. Then the soul is encased within the social environment or material nature we live in—that is Adhibhuta. And beyond that, we are encased in the broader natural environment or cosmic forces, which is Adhidaiva.

These three together comprise the larger world or reality around us, which is beyond our full control or influence. While living in this way, each of us has varying degrees of control over what surrounds us. That which we have limited or no control over is part of Adhidaiva. The part we have some control over, such as our body-mind, is Adhiatma.

So, in one sense, Daiva can include all these three categories, and all of them are ultimately under the divine will. Is Daiva the same as divine will? Yes and no. In one sense, nothing happens without divine will, so divine will and Daiva are similar. But Daiva can also be understood as a somewhat mechanical factor within the broad system of the material world.

For example, if someone walks too close to a cliff and falls, was it God’s will that they fall? No, it’s simply the law of gravity and how the physical world functions. The fall is a natural consequence of slipping near a cliff, not a direct act of God’s will to cause harm.

So, is it God’s will that someone falls? Not exactly. It’s more accurate to say that destiny and God’s will have a complex relationship—acintya bheda abheda—meaning they are simultaneously one and different. Destiny cannot operate without God’s will, but destiny itself functions as a natural mechanism through which our past actions and reactions manifest.

Depending on the context, we may say the two are identical or distinct. In the Mahabharata, sometimes they are treated as one and sometimes as different. For example, when Duryodhana scolds Drona for not fighting wholeheartedly, Drona replies that efforts are in our hands, but results are determined by destiny, and the lord of destiny is on Arjuna’s side—that is Krishna, described here as the lord of destiny, distinct from destiny itself.

Similarly, Bhishma, in his discussions with Yudhishthira, sometimes refers to events as Krishna’s will and sometimes as Daiva tantrayana (the workings of destiny).

So, my understanding is that on one level, the mechanical and transcendental are one, and on another level, they are different. Generally, when something unfortunate happens, a devotee sees it as their own karma ripening, with Krishna working through that karma for their ultimate good. Krishna does not cause the bad action; it is the fruit of one’s own past deeds.

A devotee never thinks Krishna wants to hurt them or takes pleasure in their suffering. Krishna is not a sadistic God. Yet, nothing happens without Krishna’s will, so even when something good happens, the devotee recognizes Krishna’s arrangement behind it.

This is how we can understand the similarity and difference between Daiva, Bhagwan (God), and Adhidaiva.

Thank you.