युधिष्ठिर उवाच यद्यस्ति दत्तमिष्टं वा ततस्तप्तं तथैव च। गुरूणां वापि शुश्रूषा तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह॥
Yudhishthira said If there is any efficacy in gifts, in sacrifices, in penances, well done, and in dutiful services done to preceptors and other reverend elders, do you, O grandfather, speak of the same to me.
भीष्म उवाच आत्मनानर्थयुक्तेन पापे निविशते मनः। स कर्म कलुषं कृत्वा क्लेशे महति धीयते॥
Bhishma said An understanding associated with evil, makes the mind fall into sin. In this state one stains his deeds, and then falls into great distress.
दुर्भिक्षादेव दुर्भिक्षं क्लेशात् क्लेशं भयाद् भयम्। मृतेभ्यः प्रमृता यान्ति दरिद्राः पापकर्मिणः॥
Those who are of sinful deeds, have to take birth as persons of very poor circumstances, They pass from famine to famine, from pain to pain, from fear to fear. They are more dead than those who are dead.
उत्सवादुत्सवं यान्ति स्वर्गात स्वर्ग सुखात् सुखम्। श्रद्दधानाश्च दान्ताश्च धनस्था: शुभकारिणः॥
Possessed of affluence, persons having faith, who are self-controlled, and who are devoted to righteous deeds, go from joy to joy, from heaven to heaven, from happiness to happiness.
व्यालकुञ्जरदुर्गेषु सर्पचौरभयेषु च। हस्तावापेन गच्छन्ति नास्तिकाः किमतः परम्॥
The unbelievers have to pass, with groping hands, through regions full of beasts of prey and elephants and pathless tracts full of snakes and robbers and other causes of fear. What more need be said of these?
प्रियदेवातिथेयाश्च वदान्याः प्रियसाधवः। क्षेम्यमात्मवतां मार्गमास्थिता हस्तदक्षिणम्॥
They, on the other hand, who have reverence for gods and guests, who are liberal, who have respect for good men, and who makes gifts in sacrifices, have for theirs the path that belongs to men of purified and subdued souls.
पुलाका इव धान्येषु पूत्यण्डा इव पक्षिषु। तद्विधास्ते मनुष्येषु येषां धर्मो न कारणम्॥
Those who are not pious should not be counted among men even as grains without kennel are not counted among grain and a6 cockroaches are not counted among birds.
सुशीघ्रमपि धावन्तं विधानमनुधावति। शेते सह शयानेन येन येन यथा कृतम्॥
The acts that one does, follow him even when he runs fast. Whatever act one does, lie down with the doer when the doer lays himself down.
उपतिष्ठति तिष्ठन्तं गच्छन्तमनुगच्छति। करोति कुर्वतः कर्म च्छायेवानुविधीयते॥
Indeed, the sins one commits, sin when the doer sits, and run when he runs. The sin acts when the doer acts, and, in deed, follow the doer like his shadow.
येन येन यथा यद् यत्पुरा कर्म सुनिश्चितम्। तत् तदेकतरो भुङ्क्ते नित्यं विहितमात्मना॥
Whatever the acts one does by whatever means and under whatever circumstances, are sure to be enjoyed and suffered by the doer in his next life.
स्वकर्मफलनिक्षेपं विधानपरिरक्षितम्। भूतग्राममिमं कालः समन्तादपकर्षति॥
From every side Time is always dragging all creatures, following the rule about the distance to which they are thrown and which is commensurate with their deeds.
अचोद्यमानानि यथा पुष्पाणि च फलानि च। स्वं कालं नातिवर्तन्ते तथा कर्म पुरा कृतम्॥
As flowers and fruits, without being compelled, never allow their proper time to pass away without making their appearance, so the acts one has done in past life appear at the proper time.
सम्मानश्चावमानश्च लाभालाभौ क्षयोदयौ। प्रवृत्ता विनिवर्तन्ते विधानान्ते पदे पदे॥
Honour and dishonour, profit and loss, destruction and growth, are seen to set in. No one can resist them. None of them is everlasting for it must disappear in the end.
आत्मना विहितं दुःखमात्मना विहितं सुखम्। गर्भशय्यामुपादाय भुज्यते पौर्वदेहिकम्॥
The sorrows one suffers is the outcome of his deeds. The happiness one enjoys originates from his deeds. From the time when one lies within the mother's womb one begins to enjoy and suffer his pristine deeds.
बालो युवा वा वृद्धश्च यत् करोति शुभाशुभम्। तस्यां तस्यामवस्थायां भुङ्क्ते जन्मनि जन्मनि॥
Whatever acts good and bad one does in childhood, youth, or old age, one enjoys and suffer their consequences in his next life in similar ages.
यथा धेनुसहस्रेषु वत्सो विन्दति मातरम्। तथा पूर्वकृतं कर्म कर्तारमनुगच्छति॥
As the calf recognises its dam even when the latter may stand among thousands of her kind, similarly the acts done by one in his past life come to him in the next life although he may live among thousands of his species.
मलिनं हि यथा वस्त्रं पश्चाच्छुद्ध्यति वारिणा। उपवासैः प्रतप्तानां दीर्घं सुखमनन्तकम्॥
As a piece of dirty cloth is whitened by being washed in water, similarly the righteous, purified by continuous exposure to the fire of fasts and penances at last acquire eternal happiness.
दीर्घकालेन तपसा सेवितेन महामते। धर्मनिर्धूतपापानां संसिध्यन्ते मनोरथाः॥
O you of great intelligence, the desires and purposes of those whose sins have been purged off by long-continued penances wellperformed, become fruitful.
शकुनानामिवाकाशे मत्स्यानामिव चोदके। पदं यथा न दृश्येत तथा पुण्यकृतां गतिः॥
The path of the righteous cannot be discerned even as that of birds in the sky or that of fishes in the water.
अलमन्यैरुपालब्धैः कीर्तितैश्च व्यतिक्रमैः। पेशलं चानुरूपं च कर्तव्यं हितमात्मनः॥
There is no need of speaking ill of others; nor of reciting the instances of their failure. On the other hand, one should always do what is delightful, sweet, and beneficial to his own self.