Shloka 36
Śrī–Indra–Bali Saṃvāda: The Departure and Fourfold Placement of Lakṣmī
एवं सति च का प्रीतिर्दानविद्यातपोबलै: । यदस्याचरितं कर्म सर्वमन्यत् प्रपद्यते
evaṁ sati ca kā prītir dāna-vidyā-tapo-balaiḥ | yad asyācaritaṁ karma sarvam anyat prapadyate ||
Bhīṣma dit : «S’il en est ainsi, quelle joie trouverait-on dans le don, le savoir, l’ascèse ou la force ? Car si toutes les actions qu’un homme accomplit finissent par porter leurs fruits pour un autre, le fondement même de l’effort moral s’écroule : l’un agit, et un autre recueille le fruit.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma argues that if the fruits of one’s actions could be enjoyed by someone other than the doer, then ethical striving—charity, learning, austerity, and strength—would lose its meaning, because moral responsibility requires that the agent’s deeds connect to the agent’s results.
In Shanti Parva’s philosophical discussions, Bhishma challenges a view that implies discontinuity of the person (or transfer of karmic results). He points out the practical and ethical absurdity: if the doer does not remain connected to the fruit, then praise/blame and motivation for dharmic conduct become incoherent.