Shloka 25
अध्याय ३२३ — श्वेतद्वीपगमनम्, यज्ञभाग-विवादः, एकान्तिभक्त्या नारायणदर्शन-नियमः (Śvetadvīpa Journey; Dispute over Sacrificial Share; Rule of Nārāyaṇa-vision through Single-minded Devotion)
मुझे तो यह वृत्तान्त भगवान् मार्कण्डेयजीने सुनाया था। वे मुझे सदा ही देवताओंके चरित्र सुनाया करते थे ।। एता अद्यापि कृष्णस्य तपसा तेन दीपिता: । अग्निवर्णा जटास्तात प्रकाशन्ते महात्मन:
etā adyāpi kṛṣṇasya tapasā tena dīpitāḥ | agnivarṇā jaṭās tāta prakāśante mahātmanaḥ ||
Bhishma said: This account was told to me by the venerable Mārkaṇḍeya, who would always recount to me the deeds of the gods. Even today, O dear one, the matted locks of the great-souled Krishna—kindled and made radiant by his austerity—shine forth with the hue of fire.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Tapas (disciplined austerity) is portrayed as a transformative ethical-spiritual force: it purifies, empowers, and confers a lasting radiance that signifies inner mastery and dharmic authority.
Bhishma describes Krishna as a great-souled figure whose matted locks still shine like fire because they were ‘kindled’ by his austerities—an image used to underscore Krishna’s spiritual potency and the enduring effects of tapas.