Shanti Parva Adhyaya 257 Shloka 24 - Mahabharata | Spanish | Vedapath

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Shloka 24

अहिंसा-प्रधान धर्मविचारः

Ahiṃsā as the Superior Dharma: Practical and Scriptural Reasoning

Devanagari script

तत्राड्ुछ्ठेन राजेन्द्र निखर्वमपरं ततः । तस्थौ पितामहं चैव तोषयामास यत्नत:

Transliteration

tatrāṅguṣṭhena rājendra nikharvam aparaṃ tataḥ | tasthau pitāmahaṃ caiva toṣayāmāsa yatnataḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma dijo: «Allí, oh rey, después de eso, permaneció otro nikharva entero de años, en equilibrio sólo sobre su pulgar. Con ese esfuerzo arduo e inquebrantable complació a Pitāmaha Brahmā».

Word by Word

तत्रthere

अङ्गुष्ठेनwith/on the thumb

राजेन्द्रO king of kings

निखर्वम्a nikhārva (a vast number/measure; here: a very long period)

अपरम्another; further

ततःthen; thereafter

तस्थौstood; remained

पितामहम्the Grandsire (Brahmā)

चand

एवindeed; just

तोषयामासcaused to be pleased; satisfied

यत्नतःwith effort; diligently

Speaker

पितामह उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma (Pitāmaha as speaker)

Brahmā (Pitāmaha)

Rājendra (the king addressed, i.e., Yudhiṣṭhira)

Himālaya (mountain peak; implied by context in the given passage)

the maiden/princess performing austerity (unnamed in this verse)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the dharmic power of sustained tapas—steadfast self-discipline and sincere effort can win divine grace. Ethical emphasis falls on perseverance, restraint, and single-minded dedication to a higher aim.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma narrates an episode in which a virtuous maiden performs extreme austerity: she stands balanced on her thumb for an immense duration (‘another nikharva of years’) and thereby satisfies Pitāmaha Brahmā.