Shloka 165
Adhyāya 284: Tapas as a Corrective to Household Attachment
Parāśara’s Instruction
जटिले दण्डिने नित्यं लम्बोदरशरीरिणे । कमण्डलुनिषज्जाय तस्मै ब्रह्मात्मने नम:
jaṭile daṇḍine nityaṁ lambodarśarīriṇe | kamaṇḍaluniṣajjāya tasmai brahmātmane namaḥ ||
ភីષ្មៈសូមប្រណម្យដល់ព្រះសិវៈ ព្រះអង្គដែលបង្ហាញជារូបព្រះព្រហ្ម (Brahman)៖ ព្រះអង្គមានជតាដ៏រុងរឿង និងកាន់ដណ្ឌាជានិច្ច; មានពោះធំ និងកាយធំទូលាយ; ហើយមានកមណ្ឌលុ (ប៉ាន់ទឹក) ជាគូដៃជានិមិត្តរូបជាប់ជានិច្ច។
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches reverence toward the supreme ascetic principle—Shiva as Brahman—highlighting humility and devotion as supports of dharma, and presenting renunciation-symbols (jaṭā, daṇḍa, kamaṇḍalu) as marks of spiritual authority.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction setting, Bhishma speaks a hymn-like salutation, praising Shiva’s ascetic form and affirming him as brahman-svarūpa (of the nature of Brahman), thereby grounding ethical discourse in devotion to the highest reality.