सांख्ययोगौ नारदश्न दुर्वासाश्च महानृषि: । अत्यन्ततपसो दान्तास्त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुता:
sāṅkhyayogau nāradaś ca durvāsāś ca mahānṛṣiḥ | atyantatapaso dāntās triṣu lokeṣu viśrutāḥ ||
सांख्ययोगौ नारदश्च दुर्वासाश्च महानृषिः । अत्यन्ततपसो दान्तास्त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुताः ॥
भीष्म उवाच
True spiritual authority is grounded in tapas (austerity) and dama (self-restraint). The verse highlights that disciplines like Sāṅkhya and Yoga, and exemplary sages such as Nārada and Durvāsā, are honored because they embody intense practice and mastery over the senses—ethical strength expressed as inner control.
In Bhīṣma’s instruction within the Anuśāsana Parva, he is enumerating or pointing to revered authorities—paths (Sāṅkhya, Yoga) and sages (Nārada, Durvāsā)—as exemplars famed across the three worlds, reinforcing the credibility of ascetic ideals and dharmic discipline.