Shloka 26

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

Devanagari script

सर्वे तस्यादृता धर्मा यस्यैते त्रय आदृता: । अनादूृतास्तु यस्यैते सर्वास्तस्याफला: क्रिया:,जिसने इन तीनोंका आदर किया, उसके द्वारा सभी धर्मोका आदर हो गया और जिसने इन तीनोंका अनादर कर दिया, उसकी सम्पूर्ण यज्ञादिक क्रियाएँ निष्फल हो जाती हैं

Transliteration

sarve tasyādṛtā dharmā yasyaite traya ādṛtāḥ | anādṛtās tu yasyaite sarvās tasyāphalāḥ kriyāḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: Wer diese drei ehrt, hat damit gleichsam alle Formen des Dharma geehrt. Wer aber diese drei missachtet, dessen Handlungen — Opfer und andere Riten — werden allesamt fruchtlos.

Word by Word

सर्वेall

तस्यof him

आदृताःhonoured, respected

धर्माःduties, dharmas

यस्यof whom, whose

एतेthese

त्रयःthree

आदृताःhonoured

अनादृताःdisrespected, not honoured

तुbut, however

यस्यof whom, whose

एतेthese

सर्वाःall

तस्यof him

अफलाःfruitless

क्रियाःactions, rites

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True religious merit depends on honoring the three foundational objects of reverence taught in the surrounding context; when these are respected, all dharmas are effectively respected, but when they are neglected, even elaborate rites like sacrifices lose their spiritual efficacy.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction section, Bhīṣma is advising Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma. Here he emphasizes a principle of ethical priority: reverence for the key triad (specified in the preceding verses) is the measure that validates or nullifies one’s ritual and moral actions.