Shloka 3
संधेयासंधेय-पुरुषनिर्णयः (Criteria for Allies and Non-Allies) — with the opening of the Gautama narrative
तपसैव ससर्जान्न फलमूलानि यानि च । त्रील्लॉकांस्तपसा सिद्धा: पश्यन्ति सुसमाहिता:
tapasāiva sasarjānna-phala-mūlāni yāni ca | trīl lokāṁs tapasā siddhāḥ paśyanti susamāhitāḥ ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Dengan tapas semata-mata Sang Pencipta melahirkan makanan, buah-buahan, dan segala jenis umbi-akar. Dan jiwa-jiwa agung yang mencapai kesempurnaan melalui tapas—teguh dan sangat terhimpun—menyaksikan tiga alam secara langsung.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Tapas (disciplined austerity) is presented as both a cosmic creative force—by which sustenance like food, fruits, and roots arise—and a spiritual force that purifies and concentrates the mind, enabling perfected sages to directly perceive the three worlds.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and higher conduct, Bhīṣma teaches Yudhiṣṭhira about the power of tapas: it underlies creation and supports extraordinary knowledge/vision in those who have attained steadiness and inner collectedness.