Shloka 4

श्रीशक्रसंवादः — The Dialogue of Śrī

Lakṣmī) and Śakra (Indra

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच मासपक्षोपवासेन मन्यन्ते यत्‌ तपो जना: । आत्मतन्त्रोपघातस्तु न तपस्तत्सतां मतम्‌

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca māsa-pakṣopavāsena manyante yat tapo janāḥ | ātma-tantro-paghātas tu na tapas tat satāṃ matam ||

Translation

ビーシュマは言った。「王よ。凡人は、一月あるいは半月の断食を苦行だと思っている。だがそれが、法（ダルマ）を行う器であるこの身を、我意によって痛めつける行いとなるなら、賢者はそれを真の苦行とは認めない。」

Word by Word

• भीष्मः: Bhishma
• भीष्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मास: month
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास
• Form: Masculine, Stem (in compound), Singular

• पक्ष: fortnight
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Stem (in compound), Singular

• उपवासेन: by fasting
• उपवासेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपवास
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• मन्यन्ते: think/consider
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन्
• Form: Present (Laṭ), 3rd, Plural, Ātmanepada

• यत्: which/that (as)
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• जनाः: people
• जनाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• आत्म: self
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Stem (in compound), Singular

• तन्त्र: control/discipline
• Type: Noun
• Root: तन्त्र
• Form: Neuter, Stem (in compound), Singular

• उपघातः: injury/affliction
• उपघातः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपघात
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• सताम्: of the good/virtuous
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• मतम्: opinion/view
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma distinguishes genuine tapas (disciplined, dharmic self-restraint) from mere extreme fasting that damages the body; the wise do not call self-harming practices ‘austerity’.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s instruction during the Shanti Parva, he advises the king on the nature of true religious discipline, correcting a common belief that long fasts alone constitute tapas.