Shloka 6
Śānti-parva 206: Guṇa-hetu Moha, Kāma-krodha Chain, Indriya-utpatti, and Nirodha
ज्ञानपूर्वा भवेल्लिप्सा लिप्सापूर्वाभिसंधिता । अभिसंधिपूर्वकं कर्म कर्ममूलं ततः फलम्
jñānapūrvā bhavellipsā lipsāpūrvābhisaṃdhitā | abhisaṃdhipūrvakaṃ karma karmamūlaṃ tataḥ phalam ||
毗湿摩说：“先有对对象的认识；由此认识生起欲求，想要获得。由欲求生出审慎的决意——‘我必成就此事’——以及随之而来的努力。继而付诸行动，由行动得其果报。是故，人之经历如道德之链：由认知至贪求，由意向至作为，由作为至后果。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma outlines a causal sequence: knowledge of an object leads to desire, desire leads to intention and effort, intention leads to action, and action produces results. Ethical responsibility therefore begins not only with the deed but with the inner stages—what one attends to, desires, and resolves.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and right conduct, Bhishma is advising Yudhishthira by analyzing how actions arise in the mind and how their fruits follow, emphasizing the inner origins of karma.