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

毗湿摩说道：对于那位以苦行为财（tapo-dhana）、其心安住于瑜伽的修行者，来世将得良车美乘、诸般胜妙载具；而对于勤于供奉并守护圣火的国王，他生将获得“丈夫之力”（pauruṣa）——雄健的精力与英雄般的勇武。此教诲将内在的自律与仪式的责任系于相应之果，强调正行能塑造未来的境遇。

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.