Shloka 9
Varṇa-lakṣaṇa and Ātma-saṃyama (Marks of Social Conduct and Self-Restraint) | वर्णलक्षणम् एवं आत्मसंयमः
उपतिष्ठति तिष्ठन्तं गच्छन्तमनुगच्छति । करोति कुर्वत: कर्म च्छायेवानुविधीयते
upatiṣṭhati tiṣṭhantaṃ gacchantam anugacchati | karoti kurvataḥ karma chāyevānuvidhīyate ||
毗湿摩说道：业如影随形。人立则业近立，人行则业随行；人有所作，业亦与行者同节而动。无论姿态与举止如何，所作之果与业习不离其人，恒常相伴，正如影子从不离开其身。
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
That one’s actions and their moral consequences are inseparable from the agent: karma accompanies a person continuously, shaping outcomes in accordance with what one has done, just as a shadow stays with its bearer.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and right conduct, Bhīṣma teaches Yudhiṣṭhira through vivid imagery, emphasizing that deeds leave enduring impressions and results that follow a person in all circumstances.