Shloka 28
Skanda-janma: Śivā/Svāhā, Agni, and the Manifestation of Guha
Mahābhārata 3.214
सर्वोपायैस्तु लोभस्य क्रोधस्य च विनिग्रह: । एतत् पवित्र लोकानां तपो वै संक्रमो मत:,सम्पूर्ण उपायोंसे लोभ और क्रोधकी वृत्तियोंको दबाना चाहिए। संसारमें यही पवित्र तप है और यही सबके लिये भवसागरसे पार उतारनेवाला सेतु माना गया है
sarvopāyais tu lobhasya krodhasya ca vinigrahaḥ | etat pavitraṁ lokānāṁ tapo vai saṅkramaḥ mataḥ |
The hunter-sage teaches that one should restrain greed and anger by every possible means. Such self-control, he says, is the true purifying austerity for people in the world, and it is regarded as a bridge that carries one across the perilous stream of worldly existence.
व्याध उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse defines genuine tapas (austerity) not as external hardship but as inner mastery: restraining greed and anger through every practical method. This self-restraint is portrayed as purifying and as the effective means to cross beyond worldly bondage.
In the Vana Parva’s dialogue where the vyādha instructs a seeker on dharma, he emphasizes everyday ethical discipline. Here he highlights control of lobha and krodha as the central spiritual practice that elevates ordinary life into a path of purification.