उशनसः (शुक्रस्य) चरितम् — The Account of Uśanā (Śukra): Yoga, Grievance, and Pacification
नूनं तु तस्य तपस: सावशेषमिहास्ति वै । यदहं प्रष्टमिच्छामि भगवन् कर्मण: फलम्,भगवन्! अवश्य ही मेरी उस तपस्याका कोई अंश अब भी शेष रह गया है, अतः मैं उस कर्मफलके विषयमें प्रश्न करना चाहता हूँ
nūnaṃ tu tasya tapasaḥ sāvaśeṣam ihāsti vai | yad ahaṃ praṣṭum icchāmi bhagavan karmaṇaḥ phalam ||
Bhīṣma dijo: «Sin duda, oh Bienaventurado, aún queda en mí algún residuo de aquella austeridad; por eso deseo preguntar por el fruto del karma, por los resultados que las acciones inevitablemente producen».
भीष्म उवाच
Actions (karma) have definite consequences (phala), and the wise seek clarity about this moral causality; spiritual merit gained through tapas can enable such inquiry and understanding.
Bhīṣma, in a didactic exchange, respectfully addresses a revered teacher as “Bhagavān” and states that some remaining power of his austerities must still be operative, since he is moved to ask a focused question about the fruits of actions.