Shloka 11
Svargārohaṇa-parva Adhyāya 5 — Karmaphala-Nirdeśa and Phalāśruti (कर्मफलनिर्देशः फलश्रुतिश्च)
तेनोक्त कर्मणामन्ते प्रविशन्ति स्विकां तनुम् वसूनेव महातेजा भीष्म: प्राप महाद्युति:,कुरुनन्दन! जो सब कर्मोकी गतिको जाननेवाले, अगाध बुद्धिसम्पन्न एवं सर्वज्ञ हैं उन महान् व्रतधारी, पुरातन मुनि, पराशरनन्दन व्यासजीने तो मुझसे यही कहा है कि “वे सभी वीर कर्मभोगके पश्चात् अन्ततोगत्वा अपने मूल स्वरूपमें ही मिल गये थे। महातेजस्वी, परम कान्तिमान् भीष्म वसुओंके स्वरूपमें ही प्रविष्ट हो गये”
tenokta-karmaṇām ante praviśanti svikāṃ tanum | vasūn iva mahātejā bhīṣmaḥ prāpa mahādyutiḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “At the end of the results of the deeds spoken of, they enter their own true form. Thus the mighty and radiant Bhīṣma—of great splendor—attained the state of the Vasus.” The verse underscores a moral horizon to action: after the fruition of karma, beings ultimately return to their intrinsic nature, and Bhīṣma’s life of vow-bound duty culminates in rejoining his divine origin.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Actions bear their results, and when that karmic course is exhausted, beings ‘enter their own form’—a return to their fundamental nature. Bhīṣma’s culmination is presented as a restoration to his divine source (the Vasus), highlighting dharma-lived-through as leading to an elevated end.
Vaiśampāyana reports the posthumous destiny of heroes: after experiencing the fruits of their deeds, they merge back into their original state. Specifically, Bhīṣma—brilliant and powerful—re-enters the condition of the Vasus, consistent with his divine affiliation.