Shloka 14
Dāna–Tapaḥ Praśaṃsā and Gṛhastha-Upadeśa
Maitreya
अवाप च पदं कीट: पार्थ ब्रह्म सनातनम् | स्वकर्मफलनिर्व॑त्तं व्यासस्य वचनात् तदा,पार्थ! व्यासजीके कथनानुसार उसने स्वधर्मका पालन किया था। उसीका यह फल हुआ कि उस कीटने सनातन ब्रह्मपद प्राप्त कर लिया
avāpa ca padaṁ kīṭaḥ pārtha brahma sanātanam | svakarmaphalanirvṛttaṁ vyāsasya vacanāt tadā, pārtha! |
Bhishma said: “O Partha, that very insect attained the eternal station of Brahman. This result arose from the fruit of its own action—because, at that time, it followed Vyasa’s instruction and adhered to its appointed duty.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even a seemingly insignificant being can reach the highest spiritual goal when it faithfully performs its own prescribed duty; liberation is presented as the mature fruit of rightly done action (svakarma) guided by authoritative instruction (Vyasa’s word).
Bhishma addresses Arjuna and cites an example: an insect, by following Vyasa’s directive and adhering to its own dharma, gains the eternal Brahman-state—illustrating the power of disciplined conduct and the inevitability of karma’s fruit.