Shloka 22
जपयोगयोः तुल्यफलनिर्णयः
Adhyāya 193: Adjudication of the Comparable Fruits of Japa and Yoga
असत्कर्माणि कुर्वन्तस्तिर्यग्योनिषु चापरे । क्षीणायुषस्तथा चान्ये नश्यन्ति पृथिवीतले
bharadvāja uvāca | asatkarmāṇi kurvantastiryagyoniṣu cāpare | kṣīṇāyuṣastathā cānye naśyanti pṛthivītale |
Bharadvāja dit : «Ceux qui s’adonnent à des actes iniques renaissent dans les matrices des bêtes et des oiseaux ; et d’autres, leur durée de vie épuisée, périssent sur la terre, chutant vers des états d’existence inférieurs.»
भरद्वाज उवाच
Educational Q&A
Unrighteous actions (asat-karman) bring painful consequences: moral decline can lead to rebirth in lower, non-human forms, and to ruin when one’s allotted lifespan is exhausted. The verse emphasizes personal responsibility and the ethical law of karma shaping future states.
In Śānti Parva’s instructional setting, the sage Bharadvāja is explaining the outcomes of sinful conduct. He contrasts different fates that befall wrongdoers—some are reborn among animals, while others meet destruction after their life-span ends—illustrating karmic retribution and moral order.