Shloka 9
Tapas as the Root of Attainment (तपः—साधनमूलप्रशंसा)
तस्य ता विपुला: शाखा दृष्टवा स्कन्ध॑ च सर्वश: । अभिगम्याब्रवीदेनं नारदो भरतर्षभ,भरतश्रेष्ठ] उस वृक्षकी बड़ी-बड़ी शाखाओं तथा मोटे तनोंको देखकर देवर्षि नारद उसके पास गये और इस प्रकार बोले--
tasya tā vipulāḥ śākhā dṛṣṭvā skandhaṃ ca sarvaśaḥ | abhigamyābravīd enaṃ nārado bharatarṣabha ||
Melihat cabang-cabangnya yang luas dan batangnya yang kokoh dari segala sisi, wahai yang terbaik di antara Bharata, resi ilahi Nārada mendekatinya dan berkata demikian.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Ethical instruction is introduced through attentive observation: the grandeur of the ‘tree’ becomes a prompt for Nārada’s inquiry, setting up a didactic exchange typical of Śānti Parva where visible forms are used to reveal principles of dharma.
Bhīṣma narrates that Nārada sees a great tree—its huge branches and trunk—then approaches it and begins to speak, marking the start of a teaching episode framed as a conversation.