Shloka 53
Adhyāya 270 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s inquiry on saṃnyāsa; Bhīṣma on calculable time, tamas, and karma
Vṛtra–Uśanā exemplum begins
ततः सर्वास्तदा लोकान् ब्राह्मणो$नुचचार ह । कुण्डधारप्रसादेन तपसा सिद्धिमागत:
tataḥ sarvāstadā lokān brāhmaṇo'nucacāra ha | kuṇḍadhāraprasādena tapasā siddhimāgataḥ ||
Then that brāhmaṇa went about through all the worlds, having attained spiritual accomplishment through his austerities, aided by the gracious favor of Kuṇḍadhāra.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Austerity (tapas) bears fruit as genuine spiritual accomplishment (siddhi) when grounded in dharma and supported by the grace (prasāda) of the virtuous; attainment is portrayed as the result of disciplined practice and rightful blessing, not mere ambition.
Bhīṣma narrates that a brāhmaṇa, having gained siddhi through tapas and through Kuṇḍadhāra’s favor, then traversed all the worlds—signaling the expansive reach or freedom that follows spiritual perfection.