Shloka 3
संधेयासंधेय-पुरुषनिर्णयः (Criteria for Allies and Non-Allies) — with the opening of the Gautama narrative
तपसैव ससर्जान्न फलमूलानि यानि च । त्रील्लॉकांस्तपसा सिद्धा: पश्यन्ति सुसमाहिता:
tapasāiva sasarjānna-phala-mūlāni yāni ca | trīl lokāṁs tapasā siddhāḥ paśyanti susamāhitāḥ ||
Bhīṣma dijo: «Sólo por el tapas creó el Hacedor el alimento, los frutos y las raíces. Y las grandes almas que han alcanzado la perfección mediante el tapas—firmes y hondamente concentradas—contemplan directamente los tres mundos».
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Tapas (disciplined austerity) is presented as both a cosmic creative force—by which sustenance like food, fruits, and roots arise—and a spiritual force that purifies and concentrates the mind, enabling perfected sages to directly perceive the three worlds.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and higher conduct, Bhīṣma teaches Yudhiṣṭhira about the power of tapas: it underlies creation and supports extraordinary knowledge/vision in those who have attained steadiness and inner collectedness.