Shloka 6

Daśa-Karmapatha: Restraints of Body, Speech, and Mind (दश कर्मपथ)

Devanagari script

तस्माद्‌ वाक्कायमनसा नाचरेदशुभं नर: । शुभाशुभान्याचरन्‌ हि तस्य तस्याश्षुते फलम्‌

Transliteration

tasmād vākkāyamanasā nācared aśubhaṃ naraḥ | śubhāśubhāny ācaran hi tasya tasyāśnute phalam ||

Translation

是故，人不可于意、语、身而行不祥之业；因为所行之事，无论善恶，终必亲受其相应之果报。

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine/neuter, ablative, singular

• वाक्: by speech
• वाक्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच्
• Form: feminine, instrumental, singular

• काय: by body
• काय: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: काय
• Form: masculine, instrumental, singular

• मनसा: by mind
• मनसा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस्
• Form: neuter, instrumental, singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• आचरेत्: should practice/should do
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-चर्
• Form: optative (vidhiling), 3rd, singular, parasmaipada

• अशुभम्: inauspicious/evil (deed)
• अशुभम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशुभ
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• शुभ: good (acts)
• शुभ: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ
• Form: neuter, accusative, plural

• अशुभानि: bad (acts)
• अशुभानि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशुभ
• Form: neuter, accusative, plural

• आचरन्: doing/practicing
• आचरन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-चर्
• Form: present active participle, masculine, nominative, singular

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• तस्य: of him/of that person
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine/neuter, genitive, singular

• तस्य: of him (correlative: as he does, so he gets)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine/neuter, genitive, singular

• अश्नुते: he eats/enjoys/experiences
• Type: Verb
• Root: अश्
• Form: present (lat), 3rd, singular, ātmanepada

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

One should restrain mind, speech, and body from harmful acts, because every action—good or bad—inevitably yields a corresponding result for the doer.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma is instructing on dharma and right conduct, emphasizing moral causality (karma-phala): ethical discipline in thought, word, and deed leads to good outcomes, while wrongdoing brings suffering.