Shloka 15
Karma-Phala Rahasya and the Ethics of Dāna (कर्मफल-रहस्यं दानधर्मश्च)
रूपमैश्वर्यमारोग्यमहिंसाफलम श्षुते । फलमूलाशिनो राज्यं स्वर्ग: पर्णाशिनां भवेत्
rūpam aiśvaryam ārogyam ahiṁsā-phalam aśnute | phala-mūlāśino rājyaṁ svargaḥ parṇāśināṁ bhavet ||
Bhīṣma dit : De la non-violence (ahiṁsā) naissent les fruits de la beauté, de la prospérité et de la santé. Celui qui vit de fruits et de racines obtient la souveraineté, et celui qui se nourrit de feuilles atteint le ciel. Ainsi la maîtrise de soi, et surtout l’ahiṁsā, sont louées comme des pratiques éthiques puissantes, donnant à la fois le bien-être en ce monde et une récompense spirituelle plus haute.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Ahiṁsā (non-violence) is presented as a supremely fruitful discipline, yielding tangible benefits like health and prosperity, while graded ascetic restraints (living on fruits/roots or on leaves) are linked to correspondingly higher rewards such as sovereignty and heaven.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction section, Bhīṣma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma by listing the results (phala) of ethical conduct and ascetic practices, emphasizing the exceptional potency of non-violence.