Shloka 12
Tapas as the Root of Attainment (तपः—साधनमूलप्रशंसा)
तव शाखा महाशाख स्कन्धांश्व विपुलांस्तथा । न वै प्रभग्नान् पश्यामि मारुतेन कथंचन,“महान् शाखाओंसे सुशोभित वनस्पते! मैं देखता हूँ कि तुम्हारी शाखाओं और मोटे तनोंको वायुदेव भी किसी तरह तोड़ नहीं सके हैं
tava śākhā mahāśākha skandhāṁś ca vipulāṁs tathā | na vai prabhagnān paśyāmi mārutena kathaṁcana ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Wahai pohon besar yang berhias dahan-dahan perkasa dan batang-batang lebar! Aku tidak melihat dahan atau batangmu patah sedikit pun—bahkan oleh Dewa Angin. Yang berakar teguh dan berdiri dalam tatanan dharma tidak mudah menyerah pada guncangan.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses the image of an unbroken tree to praise steadfastness: true strength is stability under pressure, suggesting an ethical ideal of firmness in dharma and self-control amid disruptive forces.
Bhishma addresses a great tree (vanaspati) and observes that even the Wind-god has not been able to break its branches and thick trunks, employing the scene as a moral illustration of resilience.