Shloka 36
Dama-pradhāna-dharma (Self-restraint as the Root of Dharma) — Śānti-parva 154
धनं गाव: सुवर्ण च मणिरत्नमथापि च । अपत्यं च तपोमूलं तपोयोगाच्च लभ्यते,धन, गाय, सोना, मणि, रत्न, और पुत्र-इन सबका मूल कारण तप ही है। तपस्याके योगसे ही इनकी उपलब्धि होती है
dhanaṃ gāvaḥ suvarṇaṃ ca maṇiratnam athāpi ca | apatyaṃ ca tapomūlaṃ tapoyogāc ca labhyate ||
Bhishma said: “Wealth, cattle, gold, jewels and precious gems, and even offspring—all have austerity as their root. Through the disciplined practice of tapas, these attainments are obtained.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Tapas—disciplined self-restraint and sustained effort—is presented as the foundational cause behind valued worldly attainments (wealth, cattle, gold, gems, and even progeny). The verse elevates inner discipline as the ethical basis for legitimate prosperity.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma continues advising the king on principles of righteous living and governance. Here he emphasizes that success and prosperity should be understood as arising from tapas rather than mere luck, inheritance, or coercion.