Shloka 21
प्रजाविसर्ग-तत्त्वनिर्णयः | Cosmogony of Elemental Emergence
Bharadvāja–Bhṛgu Dialogue
कृतानां फलमप्राप्तं कर्मणां कर्मसंज्ञितम् । क्षेत्रापणगृहासक्तं मृत्युरादाय गच्छति
kṛtānāṃ phalam aprāptaṃ karmaṇāṃ karmasaṃjñitam | kṣetrāpaṇagṛhāsaktaṃ mṛtyur ādāya gacchati ||
ভীষ্ম বললেন—করা কর্মের ফল বহু সময়েই অপ্রাপ্ত থেকে যায়; মানুষ যাকে ‘কাজ’ বলে তাতেই মগ্ন থাকে—ক্ষেত, দোকান ও ঘরে আসক্ত—আর তার আগেই মৃত্যু তাকে তুলে নিয়ে যায়।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Worldly projects and possessions can keep one absorbed, yet death may arrive before any ‘fruit’ is enjoyed; therefore one should reduce attachment, act with dharma, and prioritize what remains meaningful beyond uncertain lifespan.
In the Śānti Parva instruction, Bhīṣma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira on right living: he depicts an ordinary person bound to farm, trade, and household concerns, and personified Death abruptly taking him away before his efforts yield results.