Shloka 33
Adhyāya 270 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s inquiry on saṃnyāsa; Bhīṣma on calculable time, tamas, and karma
Vṛtra–Uśanā exemplum begins
भीष्म उवाच निर्वेदाद देवतानां च प्रसादात् स द्विजोत्तम: | वन॑ प्रविश्य सुमहत् तप आरब्धवांस्तदा
bhīṣma uvāca nirvedād devatānāṃ ca prasādāt sa dvijottamaḥ | vanaṃ praviśya sumahat tapa ārabdhavāṃs tadā ||
ഭീഷ്മൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ രാജാവേ! വൈരാഗ്യത്താലും ദേവതകളുടെ കൃപാപ്രസാദത്താലും പ്രേരിതനായി ആ ശ്രേഷ്ഠ ബ്രാഹ്മണൻ വനത്തിൽ പ്രവേശിച്ച് അന്നേ സമയം അതിമഹത്തായ തപസ്സ് ആരംഭിച്ചു.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
True spiritual effort arises from nirveda (dispassion) and is strengthened by devatā-prasāda (divine favor). The verse presents tapas as an ethical-spiritual response to worldly dissatisfaction, redirecting life toward disciplined self-restraint and higher aims.
Bhishma tells the king that an eminent Brahmin, having developed dispassion and received the gods’ favor, went into the forest and began intense austerities, marking a decisive turn from worldly life to ascetic practice.