Shloka 21
प्रजाविसर्ग-तत्त्वनिर्णयः | Cosmogony of Elemental Emergence
Bharadvāja–Bhṛgu Dialogue
कृतानां फलमप्राप्तं कर्मणां कर्मसंज्ञितम् । क्षेत्रापणगृहासक्तं मृत्युरादाय गच्छति
kṛtānāṃ phalam aprāptaṃ karmaṇāṃ karmasaṃjñitam | kṣetrāpaṇagṛhāsaktaṃ mṛtyur ādāya gacchati ||
Bhīṣma dit : Le fruit des actes déjà accomplis demeure souvent non recueilli ; tandis que l’homme est encore absorbé par ce qu’il nomme « travail »—attaché à son champ, à sa boutique et à sa maison—la Mort survient et l’emporte.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Worldly projects and possessions can keep one absorbed, yet death may arrive before any ‘fruit’ is enjoyed; therefore one should reduce attachment, act with dharma, and prioritize what remains meaningful beyond uncertain lifespan.
In the Śānti Parva instruction, Bhīṣma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira on right living: he depicts an ordinary person bound to farm, trade, and household concerns, and personified Death abruptly taking him away before his efforts yield results.