Shloka 88
युधिछिर उवाच तप: स्वधर्मवर्तित्वं मनसो दमनं दम: । क्षमा द्न्द्सहिष्णुत्वं ह्वीरकार्यनिवर्तनम्,युधिष्ठिर बोले--अपने धर्ममें तत्पर रहना तप है, मनके दमनका ही नाम दम है, सर्दी- गरमी आदि द्वन्दोंको सहन करना क्षमा है तथा न करने योग्य कामसे दूर रहना लज्जा है
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | tapaḥ svadharmavartitvaṃ manaso damanaṃ damaḥ | kṣamā dvandvasahiṣṇutvaṃ hrīr akāryanivartanam ||
Yudhiṣṭhira said: Steadfast adherence to one’s own duty is austerity (tapas). The restraint of the mind is self-control (dama). Enduring the pairs of opposites—such as cold and heat—is forbearance (kṣamā). And modesty (hrī) is the turning away from actions that ought not to be done.
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse defines key virtues in practical terms: tapas is fidelity to one’s own dharma, dama is restraint of the mind, kṣamā is endurance of life’s dualities, and hrī is refraining from improper deeds.
In the Vana Parva’s didactic setting, Yudhiṣṭhira articulates ethical definitions—clarifying how inner discipline and moral restraint should be understood and practiced.