Shloka 23
अहिंसा-प्रधान धर्मविचारः
Ahiṃsā as the Superior Dharma: Practical and Scriptural Reasoning
ततो हिमवतो मूर्थ्नि यत्र देवा: समीजिरे
tato himavato mūrdhni yatra devāḥ samījire, rājendra! tadanantaraṃ himālaya-parvatake śikhara-par yatra pūrvaṃ devatābhiḥ yajñaḥ kṛtaḥ, tasmin sthāne sā paramā śubha-lakṣaṇā kanyā ekaṃ nikharva-varṣa-avadhiṃ aṅguṣṭha-bale tiṣṭhantī sthitā. evaṃ yatnaṃ kṛtvā sā pitāmahaṃ brahmāṇaṃ santoṣayāmāsa.
Kemudian, wahai raja, di puncak Himavat—tepat di tempat para dewa dahulu berkumpul dan melaksanakan yajña—gadis yang bertanda paling mujur itu berdiri seimbang hanya dengan kekuatan ibu jarinya selama rentang nikharva tahun. Dengan tapa dan upaya yang tak putus-putus demikian, ia berhasil menyenangkan Pitāmaha Brahmā.
पितामह उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage emphasizes that unwavering discipline (yatna) and sustained austerity (tapas), undertaken in a sacred and purposeful manner, can purify intent and win divine approval—suggesting that inner resolve and ethical self-mastery are central to dharma.
Bhishma describes how an auspicious maiden goes to the summit of Himavat, a place sanctified by an earlier divine sacrifice, and performs an extreme penance—standing on her thumb for an immense span of years—thereby pleasing Brahmā.