Shloka 187
Adhyāya 284: Tapas as a Corrective to Household Attachment
Parāśara’s Instruction
वेदात् षडज्भादुद्धृत्य सांख्ययोगाच्च युक्तित: । तप: सुतप्तं विपुलं॑ दुश्चरं देवदानवै:,'पूर्वकालमें षडड़ वेद, सांख्ययोग और तर्कसे निश्चित करके देवताओं और दानवोंने जिस विशाल एवं दुष्कर तपका अनुष्ठान किया था (उससे भी उत्तम व्रत मैं तुम्हें बता रहा हूँ)
vedāt ṣaḍaṅgād uddhṛtya sāṅkhyayogāc ca yuktitaḥ | tapaḥ sutaptaṃ vipulaṃ duścaraṃ devadānavaiḥ ||
“Berpijak pada Veda beserta enam anggota bantuannya, dan meneguhkannya melalui Sāṅkhya, Yoga, serta hujah yang benar, para dewa dan Dānava pada zaman purba pernah menjalani tapa yang amat besar lagi sukar. Namun aku akan memberitahumu suatu ikrar yang lebih unggul daripada itu.”
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.