Shloka 112
तस्मात् सर्वाणि कार्याणि सावशेषाणि कारयेत् । काम पूरा हो जानेपर कोई भी उसके करनेवालेको नहीं देखता--उसके हितपर नहीं ध्यान देता; अतः सभी कार्योंको अधूरे ही रखना चाहिये || १११ ह ।। तस्मिन् कालेडपि च भवान् दिवाकीर्तिभयार्दित:
tasmāt sarvāṇi kāryāṇi sāvaśeṣāṇi kārayet | tasmin kāle 'pi ca bhavān divākīrti-bhayārditaḥ ||
Bhishma said: “Therefore, one should have all undertakings carried out with something still left unfinished. For when a desire has been fully satisfied, no one looks upon the doer any longer, nor do they attend to his welfare. Hence, it is better that tasks remain somewhat incomplete. And even at that time, you too were afflicted by fear concerning fame in the world.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma highlights a pragmatic ethical insight: once people get what they want, they often stop valuing the benefactor. Therefore, in social and political life, leaving some ‘remainder’—some ongoing dependence or future engagement—can preserve regard and continued attention to one’s welfare.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on conduct and governance. Here he offers counsel about how actions are perceived after desires are fulfilled, and he directly addresses the listener (‘bhavān’), noting that even he was once troubled by anxiety about public fame.