Previous Verse
Next Verse

Shloka 23

Karma-Phala Rahasya and the Ethics of Dāna (कर्मफल-रहस्यं दानधर्मश्च)

अचोटद्यमानानि यथा पुष्पाणि च फलानि च । स्वकाल नातिवर्तन्ते तथा कर्म पुरा कृतम्‌,जैसे फूल और फल किसीकी प्रेरणा न होनेपर भी अपने समयका उल्लंघन नहीं करते --ठीक समयपर फूलने-फलने लग जाते हैं, वैसे ही पहलेका किया हुआ कर्म भी समयपर फल देता ही है

acoṭadyamānāni yathā puṣpāṇi ca phalāni ca | svakālaṃ nātivartante tathā karma purā kṛtam ||

Bhishma sprach: „Wie Blumen und Früchte, auch ohne Anstoß, ihre bestimmte Zeit nicht überschreiten, sondern zur rechten Stunde erblühen und reifen, so bringt auch eine einst vollbrachte Tat unfehlbar ihre Frucht, wenn ihre Zeit gekommen ist.“

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
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
फलानिfruits
फलानि:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootफल
FormNeuter, Nominative, Plural
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
स्वकालम्their own time/season
स्वकालम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootस्वकाल
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
not
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
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

भीष्म उवाच

B
Bhishma
F
flowers
F
fruits
K
karma (past action)

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.