Shloka 20
उशनसः (शुक्रस्य) चरितम् — The Account of Uśanā (Śukra): Yoga, Grievance, and Pacification
एवं संसरमाणानि जीवान्यहमदृष्टवान् । यथा कर्म तथा लाभ इति शास्त्रनिदर्शनम्
evaṁ saṁsaramāṇāni jīvāny aham adṛṣṭavān | yathā karma tathā lābha iti śāstra-nidarśanam ||
இவ்வாறு ஸம்ஸாரத்தில் அலைந்து திரியும் உயிர்களை நான் நேரில் கண்டேன். சாஸ்திரம் காட்டும் நியமம் இதுவே— கர்மம் எப்படியோ, பலனும் அப்படியே।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches moral causality: the fruits one receives in life are shaped by one’s own actions—good or harmful deeds lead to corresponding outcomes. This is presented not merely as opinion but as a principle affirmed by śāstra.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and right conduct, Bhīṣma speaks as a teacher to the listener (Yudhiṣṭhira in the broader frame), grounding his counsel in both personal observation of beings in saṁsāra and in scriptural testimony.