Shloka 23

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

Devanagari script

अचोटद्यमानानि यथा पुष्पाणि च फलानि च । स्वकाल नातिवर्तन्ते तथा कर्म पुरा कृतम्‌

Transliteration

acoṭadyamānāni yathā puṣpāṇi ca phalāni ca | svakālaṃ nātivartante tathā karma purā kṛtam ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“花与果即使无人催促，也不逾越其定时，必在当时开敷成熟；往昔所作之业亦复如是，时至则必然结果。”

Word by Word

• अचोटद्यमानानि: not being impelled/urged
• अचोटद्यमानानि: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अचोटद्यमान (अ-चोटद्यमान)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• यथा: just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• पुष्पाणि: flowers
• पुष्पाणि: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

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

• फलानि: fruits
• फलानि: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

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

• स्वकालम्: their own time/season
• स्वकालम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वकाल
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• अतिवर्तन्ते: overstep, transgress
• Type: Verb
• Root: अति-√वृत्
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Atmanepada

• तथा: so, in the same way
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• कर्म: deed, action (karma)
• कर्म: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• पुरा: formerly, earlier
• पुरा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा

• कृतम्: done, performed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √कृ
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• flowers
• fruits
• karma (past action)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Past actions have inevitable consequences, and those results manifest at their proper time; one need not imagine that karma can be avoided simply because its fruit is delayed.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma and conduct, he uses a natural analogy—flowers and fruits ripening in season—to explain the certainty and timing of karmic results.