Shloka 6
Tapas as the Root of Attainment (तपः—साधनमूलप्रशंसा)
तत्र सम मत्तमातड्जा घर्मा्ता: श्रमकर्शिता: । विश्राम्यन्ति महाबाहो तथान्या मृगजातय:,महाबाहो! उसके नीचे बहुत-से मतवाले हाथी तथा दूसरे-दूसरे पशु धूपसे पीड़ित और परिश्रमसे थकित होकर विश्राम करते थे
tatra sama-matta-mātaṅgā gharmārtāḥ śrama-karśitāḥ | viśrāmyanti mahābāho tathānyā mṛga-jātayaḥ ||
Allí, bajo él, esparcidos por doquier, los elefantes embriagados—abrasados por el calor y rendidos por el esfuerzo—reposaban, oh de brazos poderosos; y del mismo modo reposaban otras clases de bestias salvajes.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even the strong are subject to fatigue and distress; a well-ordered world (and by extension a righteous polity) provides shelter and relief. The verse subtly supports dharmic governance: creating conditions where beings can recover rather than be driven relentlessly.
Bhīṣma describes a place of natural shade or refuge where rutting elephants and other wild animals, suffering from heat and tired from exertion, come to rest. It is part of a descriptive passage illustrating the character of the locale and its life-sustaining calm.