Adhyāya 270 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s inquiry on saṃnyāsa; Bhīṣma on calculable time, tamas, and karma
Vṛtra–Uśanā exemplum begins
भीष्म उवाच निर्वेदाद देवतानां च प्रसादात् स द्विजोत्तम: | वन॑ प्रविश्य सुमहत् तप आरब्धवांस्तदा,भीष्मजी कहते हैं--राजन! वैराग्य और देवताओंके कृपाप्रसादसे वनमें जाकर उस श्रेष्ठ ब्राह्मणने उस समय बड़ी भारी तपस्या आरम्भ की
bhīṣma uvāca nirvedād devatānāṃ ca prasādāt sa dvijottamaḥ | vanaṃ praviśya sumahat tapa ārabdhavāṃs tadā ||
ভীষ্ম ক’লে—হে ৰাজন! বৈৰাগ্য আৰু দেৱতাসকলৰ কৃপাপ্ৰসাদে প্ৰেৰিত হৈ সেই শ্ৰেষ্ঠ ব্ৰাহ্মণ বনত প্ৰৱেশ কৰি সেই সময়তে অতি মহান তপস্যা আৰম্ভ কৰিলে।
भीष्म उवाच
True spiritual effort arises from nirveda (dispassion) and is strengthened by devatā-prasāda (divine favor). The verse presents tapas as an ethical-spiritual response to worldly dissatisfaction, redirecting life toward disciplined self-restraint and higher aims.
Bhishma tells the king that an eminent Brahmin, having developed dispassion and received the gods’ favor, went into the forest and began intense austerities, marking a decisive turn from worldly life to ascetic practice.