Shloka 21
दैव–पुरुषकार-प्रश्नः
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Inquiry: Fate and Human Effort
न तथा मानुषे लोके भयमस्ति शुभाशुभे । तथा त्रिदशलोके हि भयमल्पेन जायते,इस मनुष्यलोकमें शुभाशुभ कर्मोंसे उतना भय नहीं प्राप्त होता, जितना कि देवलोकमें थोड़े ही पापसे भय होता है
na tathā mānuṣe loke bhayam asti śubhāśubhe | tathā tridaśa-loke hi bhayam alpena jāyate ||
Dijo Bhishma: «En el mundo de los hombres, las acciones—sean propicias o funestas—no engendran temor en igual medida; pero en el mundo de los dioses, incluso una pequeña porción de pecado hace nacer pronto el miedo. La enseñanza subraya que los ámbitos superiores exigen una pureza moral más estricta, y que allí las faltas sutiles acarrean consecuencias inmediatas.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Moral accountability is sharper in higher realms: in heaven (tridaśa-loka), even minor wrongdoing can quickly produce fear and instability, implying that subtle lapses have immediate consequences where merit is refined and standards are stricter.
Bhīṣma is instructing on dharma and the differing consequences of actions across realms, contrasting the human world—where results may be delayed or mixed—with the divine world, where small sins can swiftly lead to fear and loss of security.