Shloka 18
एतानासेवते यस्तु तपस्तस्य प्रहीयते । यस्त्वेतान् नाचरेद् विद्वांस्तपस्तस्य प्रवर्धते,कपट, शठता, चोरी, निन्दा, दूसरोंके दोष देखना, दूसरोंको हानि पहुँचाना, प्राणियोंकी हिंसा करना, चुगली खाना और झूठ बोलना--जो इन दुर्गुणोंका सेवन करता है, उसकी तपस्या क्षीण होती है और जो विद्वान् इन दोषोंको कभी अपने आचरणमें नहीं लाता, उसकी तपस्या निरन्तर बढ़ती रहती है
bharadvāja uvāca | etān āsevate yas tu tapas tasya prahīyate | yas tv etān nācared vidvāṁs tapas tasya pravardhate ||
Whoever indulges in these faults, his austerity wanes; but the wise who does not practice them, his austerity grows.
भरद्वाज उवाच
Educational Q&A
Austerity (tapas) is not merely external practice; it is sustained or destroyed by moral conduct. Indulging in deceit, harm, violence, slander, gossip, and lying causes tapas to decline, while refraining from these faults makes tapas grow.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and self-cultivation, the sage Bharadvāja states a principle linking inner spiritual power (tapas) to ethical restraint, listing specific behaviors that weaken or strengthen ascetic merit.