Shloka 8
Varṇa-lakṣaṇa and Ātma-saṃyama (Marks of Social Conduct and Self-Restraint) | वर्णलक्षणम् एवं आत्मसंयमः
सुशीघ्रमपि धावन्तं विधानमनुधावति । शेते सह शयानेन येन येन यथा कृतम्
suśīghram api dhāvantaṃ vidhānam anudhāvati | śete saha śayānena yena yena yathā kṛtam ||
แม้บุรุษจะวิ่งเร็วเพียงใด บทบัญญัติแห่งผลกรรมย่อมวิ่งตามเขาไป ผู้ใดทำกรรมไว้เช่นไร ผลก็ย่อมติดตามเช่นนั้น; เมื่อเขานอนลง ผลกรรมนั้นก็นอนร่วมกับเขา
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A person cannot outrun the consequences of their actions: the moral order (vidhāna) ensures that karma’s results accompany the doer in all states—waking, moving, or sleeping—manifesting according to what was done.
In Shanti Parva’s instruction, Bhishma is teaching about dharma and moral causality. He uses vivid imagery—running and sleeping—to show that karmic consequence remains inseparably attached to the agent.