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
yena yena yathā yad yat purā karma samīhitam | tat tad ekataro bhuṅkte nityaṁ vihitam ātmanā ||
Bhishma dit : De quelque manière et sous quelque forme qu’un homme ait jadis conçu et accompli des actes, le fruit de ces actes mêmes est infailliblement éprouvé par cet homme seul—comme une ordonnance issue de son propre être.
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.