Shloka 16

बलीन्द्रसंवादः — Kāla, Anityatā, and the Limits of Agency

Mahābhārata 12.217

Devanagari script

प्रकाशस्तपसो ज्ञानं लोके संशब्दितं तप: । रजस्तमोघ्नं यत्‌ कर्म तपसस्तत्‌ स्वलक्षणम्‌,लोकमें तप शब्द विख्यात है। उस तपका फल है, ज्ञानस्वरूप प्रकाश। रजोगुण और तमोगुणका नाश करनेवाला जो निष्काम कर्म है, वही तपस्याका स्वरूपबोधक लक्षण है

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | prakāśas tapaso jñānaṃ loke saṃśabditaṃ tapaḥ | rajas-tamo-ghnaṃ yat karma tapasas tat svalakṣaṇam |

Translation

Bhishma said: In the world, austerity (tapas) is spoken of as that whose outcome is illumination—namely, knowledge. That action which destroys passion (rajas) and darkness (tamas), performed without selfish motive, is the defining mark by which true austerity is recognized.

Word by Word

प्रकाशःlight, radiance

तपसःof austerity (tapas)

ज्ञानम्knowledge

लोकेin the world

संशब्दितम्is called/termed

तपःausterity, tapas

रजःrajas (passion)

तमःtamas (darkness/ignorance)

घ्नम्destroying, removing

यत्which

कर्मaction, deed

तपसःof tapas

तत्that

स्वलक्षणम्its own defining characteristic

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Geographic Context

Sandhi Notes