Shanti Parva Adhyaya 257 Shloka 24 - Mahabharata | French | 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 dit : «Là, ô roi, après cela, elle demeura encore un nikharva d’années tout entier, en équilibre sur son seul pouce. Par un effort si âpre et inébranlable, elle satisfit 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.