Shloka 23
अहिंसा-प्रधान धर्मविचारः
Ahiṃsā as the Superior Dharma: Practical and Scriptural Reasoning
ततो हिमवतो मूर्थ्नि यत्र देवा: समीजिरे,राजेन्द्र! तदनन्तर हिमालय पर्वतके शिखरपर जहाँ पहले देवताओंने यज्ञ किया था, उस स्थानपर वह परम शुभलक्षणा कन्या एक निखर्व वर्षोतक अँगूठेके बलपर खड़ी रही। इस प्रकार यत्न करके उसने पितामह ब्रह्माजीको संतुष्ट कर लिया
tato himavato mūrdhni yatra devāḥ samījire, rājendra! tadanantaraṃ himālaya-parvatake śikhara-par yatra pūrvaṃ devatābhiḥ yajñaḥ kṛtaḥ, tasmin sthāne sā paramā śubha-lakṣaṇā kanyā ekaṃ nikharva-varṣa-avadhiṃ aṅguṣṭha-bale tiṣṭhantī sthitā. evaṃ yatnaṃ kṛtvā sā pitāmahaṃ brahmāṇaṃ santoṣayāmāsa.
Bhishma berkata: “Kemudian, wahai raja, di puncak Himavat—di tempat yang sama di mana para dewa dahulu berhimpun dan melaksanakan korban suci—di situlah gadis yang bertanda paling mujarab itu berdiri seimbang hanya dengan kekuatan ibu jarinya selama tempoh nikharva tahun. Dengan usaha dan tapa yang berterusan demikian, dia berjaya memperkenankan Pitāmaha Brahmā.”
पितामह उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage emphasizes that unwavering discipline (yatna) and sustained austerity (tapas), undertaken in a sacred and purposeful manner, can purify intent and win divine approval—suggesting that inner resolve and ethical self-mastery are central to dharma.
Bhishma describes how an auspicious maiden goes to the summit of Himavat, a place sanctified by an earlier divine sacrifice, and performs an extreme penance—standing on her thumb for an immense span of years—thereby pleasing Brahmā.