Sacred Concord

Mbh 3.208.2a

Mahabharata · translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli

It is seen that able, intelligent and diligent persons are baffled in their efforts, and do not attain the fruits of their actions. On the other hand, persons who are always active in injuring others and in practising deception on the world, lead a happy life. There are some who attain prosperity without any exertion. And there are others, who with the utmost exertion, are unable to achieve their dues. Miserly persons with the object of having sons born to them worship the gods, and practise severe austerities, and those sons having remained in the womb for ten months at length turn out to be very infamous issue of their race; and others begotten under the same auspices, decently pass their lives in luxury with heaps of riches and grain accumulated by their ancestors. The diseases from which man suffer, are undoubtedly the result of their own karma. They then behave like small deer at the hands of hunters, and they are racked with mental troubles. And, O Brahmana, as hunters intercept the flight of their game, the progress of those diseases is checked by able and skilful physicians with their collections of drugs. And, the best of the cherishers of religion, thou hast observed that those who have it in their power to enjoy (the good things of this earth), are prevented from doing so from the fact of their suffering from chronic bowel-complaints, and that many others that are strong and powerful, suffer from misery, and are enabled with great difficulty to obtain a livelihood; and that every man is thus helpless, overcome by misery and illusion, and again and again tossed and overpowered by the powerful current of his own actions (karma). If there were absolute freedom of action, no creature would die, none would be subject to decay, or await his evil doom, and everybody would attain the object of his desire.
Mbh 3.208.2a · Mahabharata · VANA PARVA

Themes in this passage

KarmaSufferingStrengthChildrenWealthDeathDesireFamily

Karma in other traditions

The same theme, as Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Taoism address it.

They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
Psalms 126:5 · Bible · Psalms
The good deed and the evil deed are not alike. Repel the evil deed with one which is better, then lo! he, between whom and thee there was enmity (will become) as though he was a bosom friend.
Quran 41:34 · Quran
He whose evil deeds are covered by good deeds, brightens up this world, like the moon when freed from clouds.
Dhp 13.173 · Dhammapada · The World
The movement of the Tao By contraries proceeds; And weakness marks the course Of Tao's mighty deeds.
Tao Te Ching 40.1 · Tao Te Ching

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