Adhyāya 284: Tapas as a Corrective to Household Attachment
Parāśara’s Instruction
भूयश्न ते वरं दद्मि त॑ त्वं गृह्लीष्व सुव्रत । प्रसन्नचदनो भूत्वा तदिहैकमना: शृणु
bhūyaś ca te varaṁ dadmi tat tvaṁ gṛhlīṣva suvrata | prasannavadano bhūtvā tad ihaikamanāḥ śṛṇu ||
「善き誓いを守る者よ、ふたたび汝に恩寵を授けよう。これを受けよ。顔を安らかにし、心を一つに定めて、ここで我が言葉を聞け。」
भीष्म उवाच
The verse emphasizes the ethical posture required for receiving instruction: accept guidance with humility, serenity, and focused attention. It frames dharma-teaching as something to be heard with disciplined mind and respectful readiness.
In the Shanti Parva’s didactic setting, Bhishma continues advising the listener (implicitly Yudhishthira) and prefaces the next counsel by offering a further ‘boon’—a promise of beneficial instruction—asking him to listen attentively and calmly.