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 ||
毗湿摩说道:“俱卢族中最卓越者啊,凭此(持戒/功德)之力,人不堕为畜生之生。其人容貌端美,得享富足,并成就盛大名声。”
भीष्म उवाच
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.