Shloka 23
Karma-Phala Rahasya and the Ethics of Dāna (कर्मफल-रहस्यं दानधर्मश्च)
Devanagari script
अचोटद्यमानानि यथा पुष्पाणि च फलानि च । स्वकाल नातिवर्तन्ते तथा कर्म पुरा कृतम्
Transliteration
acoṭadyamānāni yathā puṣpāṇi ca phalāni ca | svakālaṃ nātivartante tathā karma purā kṛtam ||
Translation
ভীষ্মে ক’লে— যেনেকৈ ফুল আৰু ফল কোনো প্ৰেৰণা নাথাকিলেও নিজৰ নিৰ্ধাৰিত সময় অতিক্ৰম নকৰে, যথাসময়ে ফুলি পাকে; তেনেকৈ পূৰ্বে কৰা কৰ্মও নিজৰ সময়ত ফল দিয়ে।
Word by Word
अचोटद्यमानानिnot being impelled/urged
अचोटद्यमानानि:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootअचोटद्यमान (अ-चोटद्यमान)
FormNeuter, Nominative, Plural
यथाjust as
यथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयथा
पुष्पाणिflowers
पुष्पाणि:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootपुष्प
FormNeuter, Nominative, Plural
चand
च:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच
फलानिfruits
फलानि:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootफल
FormNeuter, Nominative, Plural
चand
च:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच
स्वकालम्their own time/season
स्वकालम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootस्वकाल
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
नnot
न:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन
अतिवर्तन्तेoverstep, transgress
अतिवर्तन्ते:
TypeVerb
Rootअति-√वृत्
FormPresent, Third, Plural, Atmanepada
तथाso, in the same way
तथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतथा
कर्मdeed, action (karma)
कर्म:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootकर्मन्
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
पुराformerly, earlier
पुरा:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपुरा
कृतम्done, performed
कृतम्:
TypeAdjective
Root√कृ
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
Speaker
भीष्म उवाच
Characters & Entities
B
BhishmaF
flowersF
fruitsK
karma (past action)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
Past actions have inevitable consequences, and those results manifest at their proper time; one need not imagine that karma can be avoided simply because its fruit is delayed.
In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma and conduct, he uses a natural analogy—flowers and fruits ripening in season—to explain the certainty and timing of karmic results.