Shloka 15

Śvetadvīpa-varṇana and Śāstra-pravartana (Śānti Parva 322)

Devanagari script

बालो युवा वा वृद्धश्च यत्‌ करोति शुभाशुभम्‌ । तस्यां तस्यामवस्थायां भुड्धक्ते जन्मनि जन्मनि

Transliteration

bālo yuvā vā vṛddhaś ca yat karoti śubhāśubham | tasyāṃ tasyām avasthāyāṃ bhuṅkte janmani janmani ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：无论是孩童、青年，还是老者，凡所作之善业或恶业，其果报皆将于生生世世反复受领；且尤为相应者，是在当初造业之同一人生阶段中受其报应。

Word by Word

• बालः: a child
• बालः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• युवा: a youth
• युवा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युवन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• वृद्धः: an old man
• वृद्धः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्ध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• यत्: whatever (which)
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• करोति: does
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• शुभ: good, auspicious
• शुभ: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अशुभम्: bad, inauspicious
• अशुभम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशुभ
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तस्य: of him/that (of that person)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• तस्याम्: in that (state)
• तस्याम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• तस्याम्: in that (state)
• तस्याम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• अवस्थायाम्: in (a particular) condition/stage (of life)
• अवस्थायाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवस्था
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• भुङ्क्ते: enjoys/experiences (the result)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

• जन्मनि: in a birth
• जन्मनि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• जन्मनि: in (each) birth
• जन्मनि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Karmic accountability is precise: deeds—good or bad—bear fruit across repeated births, and the experience of that fruit corresponds to the life-stage in which the deed was performed.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and conduct, Bhishma teaches about karma and its results, emphasizing that actions done in childhood, youth, or old age return with appropriate consequences over successive births.