Shloka 187
Adhyāya 284: Tapas as a Corrective to Household Attachment
Parāśara’s Instruction
वेदात् षडज्भादुद्धृत्य सांख्ययोगाच्च युक्तित: । तप: सुतप्तं विपुलं॑ दुश्चरं देवदानवै:
vedāt ṣaḍaṅgād uddhṛtya sāṅkhyayogāc ca yuktitaḥ | tapaḥ sutaptaṃ vipulaṃ duścaraṃ devadānavaiḥ ||
「ヴェーダとその六支（補助学）より要を汲み、さらにサーンキヤとヨーガ、そして正しい論理によって確証して、太古、神々とダーナヴァたちは広大にして苛烈な苦行を修した。だが、我はそれにも勝る誓戒を汝に語ろう。」
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even the greatest austerities, validated by Vedic learning, Vedāṅgas, Sāṅkhya-Yoga, and reasoning, are not presented as the final summit; Bhīṣma signals that there exists a vow (vrata) ethically higher than sheer hardship, implying that true excellence lies in the quality and purpose of discipline, not only its intensity.
In Bhīṣma’s instruction during the Śānti Parva, he recalls an ancient benchmark: the immense, difficult tapas performed by both gods and Dānavas, grounded in scriptural and philosophical authority. He then pivots to introduce a teaching about an even superior vow, preparing the listener for a higher standard of dharmic practice.