Shloka 14
अध्याय ३२३ — श्वेतद्वीपगमनम्, यज्ञभाग-विवादः, एकान्तिभक्त्या नारायणदर्शन-नियमः (Śvetadvīpa Journey; Dispute over Sacrificial Share; Rule of Nārāyaṇa-vision through Single-minded Devotion)
अन्नेर्भूमेरपां वायोरन्तरिक्षस्य वा विभो | धैर्येण सम्मित: पुत्रो मम भूयादिति सम ह,उन्होंने यह संकल्प लेकर कि मुझे अग्नि, भूमि, जल, वायु अथवा आकाशके समान धैर्यशाली पुत्र प्राप्त हो, तपस्या आरम्भ की थी
anner bhūmer apāṁ vāyor antarikṣasya vā vibho | dhairyeṇa sammitaḥ putro mama bhūyād iti sa ma ha |
Bhīṣma said: “O mighty one, he began his austerities with this resolve: ‘May I be blessed with a son whose steadfastness is measured against that of fire, earth, water, wind, or the sky.’”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse elevates dhairya (steadfast endurance) as a foundational virtue, so essential that it is compared to the elemental powers—fire, earth, water, wind, and sky—suggesting that true strength is measured by inner stability and resilience rather than mere force.
Bhīṣma recounts that a person undertook tapas (austerities) with a specific vow: to obtain a son endowed with extraordinary patience and firmness, comparable to the enduring qualities symbolized by the five elements.