Shloka 7
Tapas as the Root of Attainment (तपः—साधनमूलप्रशंसा)
नल्वमात्रपरीणाहो घनच्छायो वनस्पति: । सारिकाशुकसंजुष्ट: पुष्पवान्ू फलवानपि
nalvamātraparīṇāho ghanacchāyo vanaspatiḥ | sārikāśukasaṃjuṣṭaḥ puṣpavān phalavān api ||
ਉੱਥੇ ਇੱਕ ਵੱਡਾ ਦਰੱਖ਼ਤ ਸੀ—ਤਣੇ ਦਾ ਘੇਰਾ ਵੱਡਾ ਨਹੀਂ ਸੀ, ਪਰ ਉਸ ਦੀ ਛਾਂ ਬਹੁਤ ਘਣੀ ਸੀ। ਮੈਨਾ ਅਤੇ ਤੋਤਿਆਂ ਦੇ ਝੁੰਡ ਉਸ ਉੱਤੇ ਵੱਸਦੇ ਸਨ; ਅਤੇ ਉਹ ਦਰੱਖ਼ਤ ਫੁੱਲਾਂ ਤੇ ਫਲਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਭਰਪੂਰ ਸੀ।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses a vivid natural image to suggest that a single source of goodness and abundance can become a refuge for many. Ethically, it points toward the value of being supportive—like a flourishing tree that offers shade, food, and a dwelling-place to others.
Bhishma is describing a remarkable tree: slender in girth yet with a dense canopy, inhabited by parrots and mynas, and filled with flowers and fruits. The description functions as a scene-setting image within his broader instruction in Shanti Parva.