Shloka 10
Śvetadvīpa-varṇana and Śāstra-pravartana (Śānti Parva 322)
येन येन यथा यद् यत्पुरा कर्म सुनिश्चितम् । तत् तदेकतरो भुद्ुक्ते नित्यं विहितमात्मना
yena yena yathā yad yat purā karma niścitām | tat tad ekataro bhuṅkte nityaṁ vihitam ātmanā ||
Bhishma dit : De quelque manière qu’un homme ait, dans des vies antérieures, accompli ses actes avec fermeté, de cette même manière il en éprouve sans cesse les fruits—seul—selon ce que son propre être a ordonné pour lui, c’est-à-dire par sa propre initiative et ses actes passés.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Each person inevitably experiences the results of their own past actions; the moral consequences of karma are personal and cannot be transferred or shared, emphasizing individual responsibility and ethical accountability.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and right conduct, Bhishma is teaching Yudhishthira about the law of karma—how deeds done in the past (including prior births) mature into corresponding experiences in the present, borne by the doer alone.