Shloka 14
Arjuna–Gaṇa Saṃvāda: Bāṇādhikāra, Tāpasa-veṣa, and the Ethics of Tapas (अर्जुन-गणसंवादः)
तपसा क्षीयते सत्यमेतदेव मया श्रुतम् । तस्माच्च तपसस्तेद्य भविष्यति फलं कुतः
tapasā kṣīyate satyametadeva mayā śrutam | tasmācca tapasastedya bhaviṣyati phalaṃ kutaḥ
“It is indeed true—this I have heard—that by austerity one becomes diminished (worn down). Therefore, O venerable one, how could any fruit arise from such austerity?”
Suta Goswami (narrating the Shatarudra discourse; the verse reads as an objection/question within the dialogue)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
FAQs
It warns that austerity by itself can deplete the body and egoically exhaust the seeker; in Shaiva teaching, tapas becomes truly fruitful when aligned with Shiva-bhakti, right knowledge, and surrender to Pati (Shiva) rather than mere self-mortification.
It implies that external effort alone is not the final means; worship of Saguna Shiva—especially through Linga-upasana with mantra, offering, and devotion—channels discipline toward grace, making practice inwardly purifying rather than merely draining.
Prefer moderated tapas joined with Shiva-japa (Panchakshara: “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and Linga-puja; keep the body steady with sattvic restraint, and make austerity a support for remembrance rather than an end in itself.