Adhyāya 119: Vyāsa–Kīṭa-saṃvāda
Tapas-bala and karmic ascent across yoni
जो सुन्दर रूप, पूर्णांगता, पूर्ण आयु, उत्तम बुद्धि, सत्त्व, बल और स्मरणशक्ति प्राप्त करना चाहते थे, उन महात्मा पुरुषोंने हिंसाका सर्वथा त्याग कर दिया था ।।
bhīṣma uvāca | ye sundara-rūpaṃ pūrṇāṅgatāṃ pūrṇāyuḥ uttama-buddhiṃ sattvaṃ balaṃ ca smaraṇa-śaktiṃ prāptum icchanti sma, te mahātmānaḥ puruṣā hiṃsāyāḥ sarvathā tyāgaṃ cakruḥ || ṛṣīṇām atra saṃvādo bahuśaḥ kuru-nandana | babhūva teṣāṃ tu mataṃ yat tat śṛṇu yudhiṣṭhira ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Ces hommes aux grandes âmes, qui voulaient obtenir la beauté de la forme, l’intégrité du corps, la plénitude de la vie, une compréhension excellente, la pureté intérieure, la force et une mémoire puissante, ont renoncé entièrement à la violence. Ô joie des Kuru, les sages ont maintes fois débattu de cette question ; à présent, Yudhiṣṭhira, écoute la conclusion à laquelle tous se sont finalement accordés.»
भीष्म उवाच
Complete renunciation of violence (ahiṃsā) is presented as a foundational ethical discipline that supports both bodily wellbeing (health, longevity, strength) and mental excellence (intellect, purity, memory).
Bhishma addresses Yudhishthira and reports that sages have repeatedly debated this topic; he is about to present the consensus conclusion—namely, that those seeking the highest human excellences abandon violence entirely.