Shloka 5
संधेयासंधेय-पुरुषनिर्णयः (Criteria for Allies and Non-Allies) — with the opening of the Gautama narrative
यद् दुरापं भवेत् किंचित् तत् सर्व तपसो भवेत् । ऐश्वर्यमृषय: प्राप्तास्तपसैव न संशय:
yad durāpaṁ bhavet kiñcit tat sarvaṁ tapaso bhavet | aiśvaryam ṛṣayaḥ prāptās tapasaiva na saṁśayaḥ ||
Dijo Bhīṣma: Cualquier cosa que sea difícil de obtener en este mundo, todo ello se vuelve alcanzable mediante el tapas, la austeridad. Los sabios ṛṣi han obtenido, en verdad, poderes extraordinarios y altas realizaciones únicamente por el tapas; de ello no hay duda.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Tapas—disciplined austerity and self-restraint—is presented as a powerful means by which even the most difficult goals become attainable; the sages’ extraordinary attainments are cited as proof.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and right conduct, Bhīṣma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira, emphasizing the efficacy of tapas and pointing to the ṛṣis as exemplars who achieved great powers through ascetic discipline.