Adhyāya 284: Tapas as a Corrective to Household Attachment
Parāśara’s Instruction
यज्ञवाहाय दान्ताय तप्यायातपनाय च | नमस्तटाय तट्याय तटानां पतये नमः
yajñavāhāya dāntāya tapyāyātapanāya ca | namas taṭāya taṭyāya taṭānāṃ pataye namaḥ ||
Salam kepada Sang Pembawa yajña; kepada Yang Dānta, yang mengekang diri; kepada Tapya, panas tapa itu sendiri; dan kepada Ātapana, yang menanggung panas tapa. Salam kepada tepi sungai; salam kepada segala yang terkait dengan tepi; dan salam pula kepada Penguasa segala tepi—penjaga batas yang menuntun aliran kehidupan.
भीष्म उवाच
Ethical steadiness is rooted in reverence for yajña (ordered duty and sacred offering) and tapas (disciplined self-restraint). By praising the bearer of sacrifice and the ascetic power of endurance, the verse elevates self-control and sustained practice as foundations of dharma.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction, Bhīṣma is reciting a devotional formula of salutations (stuti/namaskāra), invoking a revered power through multiple epithets—linked to sacrifice, austerity, and the protective boundary of river-banks—before continuing his broader teaching on dharma and right conduct.