शुकस्य योगसिद्धिः (Śuka’s Yogic Attainment and Ascent)
द्रष्टा स्वर्गस्थ को5न्यो5स्ति तथैव नरकस्य च । आगरमांस्त्वनतिक्रम्य दद्याच्चैव यजेत च
draṣṭā svargastha ko 'nyo 'sti tathaiva narakasya ca | āgamānstv anatikramya dadyāc caiva yajeta ca ||
Bhishma berkata: “Siapakah lagi, selain pelaku perbuatan itu sendiri, yang akan melihat dan mengalami syurga dan demikian juga neraka? Oleh itu, tanpa melanggar perintah kitab suci, hendaklah seseorang terus bersedekah, melaksanakan korban suci dan melakukan amal-amal baik yang lain.”
भीष्म उवाच
The doer alone experiences the fruits of actions—heaven for good deeds and hell for bad—so one should adhere to scriptural injunctions and persist in meritorious acts like charity and sacrifice.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma advises the listener that personal responsibility for karma is inescapable, and therefore recommends sustained righteous conduct (dāna, yajña) in accordance with śāstra.