Shloka 112
आपद्धर्मनिर्णयः — विश्वामित्र-श्वपचसंवादः
Apaddharma Determination: Dialogue of Viśvāmitra and the Śvapaca
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 ।।
tasmāt sarvāṇi kāryāṇi sāvaśeṣāṇi kārayet | tasmin kāle 'pi ca bhavān divākīrti-bhayārditaḥ ||
Bhishma dit : «C’est pourquoi il faut faire exécuter toutes les entreprises en laissant toujours quelque chose en suspens. Car lorsque le désir est pleinement comblé, nul ne regarde plus celui qui a agi, et nul ne se soucie de son bien. Ainsi vaut-il mieux que les tâches demeurent un peu inachevées. Et même alors, toi aussi tu étais tourmenté par la crainte de la renommée dans le monde.»
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.