Adhyāya 214: Tapas Redefined—Perpetual Discipline, Hospitality, and the Ethics of Eating (तपः-निरूपणम्, विघसाशी-अतिथिप्रिय-धर्मः)
तस्मात् तदभिघाताय कर्म कुर्यादकल्मषम् | रजस्तमश्न हित्वेह यथेष्टां गतिमाप्रुयात्
tasmāt tad-abhighātāya karma kuryād akalmaṣam | rajas-tamaś ca hitveha yatheṣṭāṁ gatim āpnuyāt ||
Bhīṣma disse: Portanto, para golpear (e vencer) essa mente indócil, deve-se agir com ação imaculada—sem falta e sem desejo egoísta. Fazendo assim neste mundo, abandonando rajas e tamas, alcança-se o rumo de progresso que de fato se busca.
भीष्म उवाच
To master the mind, one should engage in blameless, desireless action (akalmaṣa karma). Such disciplined action weakens passion (rajas) and inertia/delusion (tamas), enabling the seeker to attain the intended spiritual course or goal (gati).
In Shanti Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on dharma and inner discipline. Here he explains a practical method for subduing the mind: perform pure, untainted action so that the lower guṇas are relinquished and higher progress becomes possible.