Shloka 11
Brāhmaṇa-kṛtya, Āśrama-niyama, and Dāna-prasaṃsā
Duties of the Brāhmaṇa, āśrama discipline, and praise of giving
यत्र यत्रैव संयुक्तो धात्रा गर्भे पुन: पुनः । तत्र तत्रैव वसति न यत्र स्वयमिच्छति
yatra yatraiva saṁyukto dhātrā garbhe punaḥ punaḥ | tatra tatraiva vasati na yatra svayam icchati ||
ภีษมะกล่าวว่า “ผู้สร้างกำหนดให้สัตว์ผู้มีวิญญาณไปสู่ครรภ์ใดซ้ำแล้วซ้ำเล่า เขาย่อมต้องอาศัยอยู่ในครรภ์นั้นซ้ำแล้วซ้ำเล่า มิอาจไปอยู่ ณ ที่ซึ่งตนปรารถนาเองได้”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that rebirth and one’s embodied circumstances are allotted by the cosmic ordainer in accordance with karmic law; personal preference alone cannot override that dispensation. Ethically, it encourages humility, acceptance, and a turn toward right action rather than mere wishing.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction, Bhishma is advising Yudhishthira on deeper principles behind human experience. Here he emphasizes how beings are repeatedly placed into particular births (wombs) by the Creator/Ordainer, highlighting the constrained agency of the individual within saṁsāra.