Shloka 12
Varṇa-lakṣaṇa and Ātma-saṃyama (Marks of Social Conduct and Self-Restraint) | वर्णलक्षणम् एवं आत्मसंयमः
अचोटद्यमानानि यथा पुष्पाणि च फलानि च । स्वं काल॑ नातिवर्तन्ते तथा कर्म पुरा कृतम्
Bhīṣma uvāca: acoṭadyamānāni yathā puṣpāṇi ca phalāni ca | svaṁ kālaṁ nātivartante tathā karma purā kṛtam ||
ভীষ্মে ক’লে—যেনেকৈ কোনো প্ৰেৰণা নোহোৱাকৈ ফুল আৰু ফল নিজৰ নিজৰ ঋতুকালত গছত ওলায়, তেনেকৈ পূৰ্বে কৃত কৰ্মও ফলভোগৰ নিৰ্ধাৰিত সময় অতিক্ৰম নকৰে।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Karma bears fruit inevitably in its own appointed time. Just as natural processes like flowering and fruiting occur when the season arrives, past actions mature into results when their time comes; one cannot hasten, delay, or evade that fruition.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and right understanding, Bhīṣma teaches Yudhiṣṭhira through analogies. Here he uses the image of flowers and fruits appearing naturally to explain the certainty and timing of karmic results.