Shloka 9

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

Devanagari script

वाहनानि च यानानि योगात्मनि तपोधने । अग्नीनुपशयानस्य राज्ञ: पौरुषमेव च

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | vāhanāni ca yānāni yogātmani tapodhane | agnīn upaśayānasya rājñaḥ pauruṣam eva ca |

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: Với bậc khổ hạnh giàu công phu (tapo-dhana), tâm an trú trong yoga, thì ở đời sau sẽ có những cỗ xe, phương tiện tốt lành. Còn vị vua chuyên tâm phụng thờ và chăm nom các ngọn lửa thiêng, sẽ đạt ở kiếp khác sức mạnh nam nhi và khí phách anh hùng. Lời dạy nối kết kỷ luật nội tâm và trách nhiệm nghi lễ với quả báo tương xứng, nhấn mạnh rằng hành trì chính đáng định hình cảnh ngộ tương lai.

Word by Word

• वाहनानि: vehicles, conveyances
• वाहनानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाहन
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Plural

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

• यानानि: carriages, mounts, means of travel
• यानानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: यान
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Plural

• योगात्मनि: in/for one whose self is in yoga (yoga-possessed)
• योगात्मनि: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: योगात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• तपोधने: in/for the ascetic (one whose wealth is austerity)
• तपोधने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपोधन
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• अग्नीन्: fires (sacred fires)
• अग्नीन्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• उपशयानस्य: of one who serves/attends upon (worships)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपशय
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• राज्ञः: of the king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• पौरुषम्: manliness, valor, prowess
• पौरुषम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौरुष
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• एव: indeed, only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

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

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• a yoga-established ascetic (tapodhana)
• a king (rājā)
• sacred fires (agni)
• vehicles/conveyances (vāhana, yāna)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma teaches that specific dharmic disciplines yield corresponding fruits across births: yogic inner steadiness and tapas lead to refined worldly supports (good conveyances), while faithful service of the sacred fires—especially as a king’s duty—cultivates pauruṣa, i.e., valor and strength of character, in a future life.

What is happening in the narrative?

Within Bhishma’s instruction on dharma and the results of righteous conduct, he enumerates karmic outcomes: he contrasts the merit of a yoga-established ascetic with that of a king devoted to fire-worship, assigning each a distinct reward in a subsequent birth.