Shloka 28

Karma-Phala Rahasya and the Ethics of Dāna (कर्मफल-रहस्यं दानधर्मश्च)

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच यन्मन्त्रे भवति वृथोपयुज्यमाने यत्‌ सोमे भवति वृथाभिषूयमाणे । यच्चाग्नौ भवति वृथाभिटृ्‌यमाने तत्‌ सर्व भवति वृथाभिधीयमाने

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | yan-mantre bhavati vṛthopayujyamāne yat some bhavati vṛthābhiṣūyamāne | yac cāgnau bhavati vṛthābhihūyamāne tat sarvaṁ bhavati vṛthābhidhīyamāne ||

Translation

ଭୀଷ୍ମ କହିଲେ—ୟୁଧିଷ୍ଠିର! ବେଦମନ୍ତ୍ରକୁ ବ୍ୟର୍ଥ (ଅଶୁଦ୍ଧ) ଭାବେ ପ୍ରୟୋଗ କଲେ ଯେ ପାପ ହୁଏ, ସୋମଯାଗକୁ ଯଥାବିଧି ନ କରି ଦକ୍ଷିଣାଦି ନ ଦେଇ ନିଷ୍ଫଳ କଲେ ଯେ ଦୋଷ ଲାଗେ, ଏବଂ ବିଧି ଓ ମନ୍ତ୍ର ବିନା ଅଗ୍ନିରେ ନିରର୍ଥକ ଆହୁତି ଦେଲେ ଯେ ପାପ ହୁଏ—ସେ ସମସ୍ତ ପାପ ମିଥ୍ୟାଭାଷଣରୁ ମିଳେ।

Word by Word

• भीष्मः: Bhishma
• भीष्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• मन्त्रे: in/with a mantra
• मन्त्रे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• भवति: arises/occurs
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Present, 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• वृथा: in vain, wrongly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वृथा

• उपयुज्यमाने: when being employed/used
• उपयुज्यमाने: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-युज्
• Form: Present passive participle (शानच्), Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• सोमे: in the Soma-sacrifice / in Soma
• सोमे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• भवति: arises/occurs
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Present, 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• वृथा: in vain, wrongly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वृथा

• अभिषूयमाणे: when being pressed/extracted (Soma)
• अभिषूयमाणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-षु
• Form: Present passive participle (शानच्), Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• यत्: and that which
• यत्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अग्नौ: in the fire
• अग्नौ: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• भवति: arises/occurs
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Present, 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• वृथा: in vain, improperly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वृथा

• अभिहूयमाणे: when being offered/invoked (as oblation)
• अभिहूयमाणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-हु
• Form: Present passive participle (शानच्), Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• सर्वम्: all (of it)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• भवति: arises/occurs
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Present, 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• वृथा: in vain, falsely
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वृथा

• अभिधीयमाने: when being uttered/said
• अभिधीयमाने: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-धा
• Form: Present passive participle (शानच्), Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Yudhishthira
• Vedic mantras
• Soma (Soma-sacrifice)
• Agni (sacrificial fire)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

False speech is presented as a grave ethical transgression: the text equates the sin of lying with major ritual faults—misusing Vedic mantras, ruining the Soma-sacrifice, and offering oblations without proper rite—thereby elevating satya (truthfulness) as a central pillar of dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anushasana Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on dharma. Here he emphasizes the moral weight of speech by comparing the consequences of lying to well-known serious ritual errors, using sacrificial imagery to impress the king with the importance of truth.