Shloka 90
Adhyāya 284: Tapas as a Corrective to Household Attachment
Parāśara’s Instruction
भीमदुन्दुभिहासाय भीमव्रतधराय च । उग्राय च नमो नित्यं नमो<स्तु दशबाहवे
bhīmadundubhihāsāya bhīmavratadharāya ca | ugrāya ca namo nityaṃ namo 'stu daśabāhave ||
Ever do I bow to him whose laughter is like the thunder of a mighty drum, who bears a formidable vow, who is fierce in power. Salutations to the ten-armed one.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse models reverence for immense power when joined to disciplined vows (vrata). In the Śānti Parva’s ethical atmosphere, strength is not praised as mere violence, but as force restrained and directed by steadfast resolve and dharmic purpose.
Bhīṣma utters a formula of salutation, praising a formidable, fierce figure described by epithets—roaring laughter like a war-drum, vow-bearing discipline, and ten arms—serving as an invocation within the broader instruction of Śānti Parva.