Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 29: Rāma Breaks Khara’s Mace
Text 3.29.8
अवश्यं लभते जन्तुः फलं पापस्य कर्मणः।
घोरं पर्यागते काले द्रुमाः पुष्पमिवार्तवम्॥
avaśyaṁ labhate jantuḥ phalaṁ pāpasya karmaṇaḥ
ghoraṁ paryāgate kāle drumāḥ puṣpam ivārtavam
avaśyam = inevitably; labhate = obtains; jantuḥ = a creature; phalam = result; pāpasya = engaged in sinful; karmaṇaḥ = activities; ghoram = a terrible; paryāgate kāle = at the right time; drumāḥ = trees; puṣpam = flowers; iva = just as; ārtavam = [bring forth] seasonal.
A creature engaged in sinful activities inevitably obtains a terrible result at the right time just as trees [bring forth] seasonal flowers.1
1 Technical note: pāpasya karmaṇaḥ kartā kāle paryāgate prāpte sati ghoraṁ phalam avaśyaṁ labhate.