Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 75
Adhyāya 119: Vyāsa–Kīṭa-saṃvāda
Tapas-bala and karmic ascent across yoni
तिर्यग्योनिं न गच्छेत रूपवांश्ष भवेन्नर: । ऋद्धिमान् वै कुरुश्रेष्ठ प्राप्तुयाच्च महद् यश:
tiryagyoniṁ na gacchet rūpavāṁś ca bhaven naraḥ | ṛddhimān vai kuruśreṣṭha prāpnuyāc ca mahad yaśaḥ ||
Wika ni Bhīṣma: “O pinakamainam sa mga Kuru, sa kapangyarihan ng (pagmamasid/pagkamit ng bisa) na ito, ang tao’y hindi mahuhulog sa kapanganakang-hayop. Siya’y magkakaroon ng kaaya-ayang anyo, magkakamit ng kasaganaan, at makaaabot sa dakilang katanyagan.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma teaches that righteous observance and accumulated merit protect a person from degrading rebirth (tiryagyoni) and yield desirable human fruits—beauty, prosperity, and lasting fame—thus linking ethical conduct with karmic outcomes.
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma continues instructing Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma. Here he concludes a point by stating the benefits of a particular virtuous practice, emphasizing its power to shape one’s next birth and one’s standing in this life.