Shloka 10
Varṇa-lakṣaṇa and Ātma-saṃyama (Marks of Social Conduct and Self-Restraint) | वर्णलक्षणम् एवं आत्मसंयमः
येन येन यथा यद् यत् पुरा कर्म समीहितम् । तत्तदेकतरो भुड्क्ते नित्यं विहितमात्मना,जिस-जिस मनुष्यने अपने-अपने पूर्वजन्मोंमें जैसे-जैसे कर्म किये हैं, वह अपने ही किये हुए उन कर्मोंका फल सदा अकेला ही भोगता है
yena yena yathā yad yat purā karma samīhitam | tat tad ekataro bhuṅkte nityaṁ vihitam ātmanā ||
Dijo Bhishma: De la manera que sea y en la forma particular en que una persona antes concibió y realizó acciones, el fruto de esas mismas acciones lo experimenta infaliblemente esa persona y solo ella—siempre como algo ordenado por su propio ser.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The core teaching is that karmic results are personal and inescapable: whatever actions one has intentionally performed in the past, one alone must experience their corresponding fruits. Ethical accountability cannot be shifted to others.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and right conduct, Bhishma is teaching Yudhishthira about the law of karma—emphasizing that outcomes follow one’s own deeds and are borne individually.