Shloka 26
Brāhmaṇa-vandana: Criteria for Veneration, Disciplined Speech, and Protective Kingship (अनुशासनपर्व, अध्याय ८)
व्यवसायस्तयो: शीघ्रमुभयोरेव विद्यते । हन्युः क्रुद्धा महाराज ब्राह्मणा ये तपस्विन:
vyavasāyas tayoḥ śīghram ubhayor eva vidyate | hanyuḥ kruddhā mahārāja brāhmaṇā ye tapasvinaḥ ||
Bhīṣma dit : « Ô grand roi, dans les deux cas, le fruit de l’effort se manifeste promptement. Mais sache ceci : lorsque des Brāhmanes ascètes entrent en colère, ils peuvent, par la puissance de leurs austérités, abattre même un Kṣatriya redoutable. Ainsi, le fruit rapide du tapas et le fruit rapide de la vaillance royale se ressemblent ; pourtant la force spirituelle d’une ascèse disciplinée, lorsqu’elle est provoquée, peut dominer l’éclat des armes. »
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Both martial prowess and ascetic austerity yield swift results, but tapas—when embodied by disciplined Brāhmaṇas—can surpass physical power; therefore rulers should honor spiritual authority and avoid provoking the righteous.
Bhīṣma instructs the king on the relative potency of Kṣatriya energy and Brāhmaṇa austerity, warning that enraged ascetics can destroy even powerful warriors through the force generated by their tapas.