Shloka 73
Tapas, Tīrtha, and Moral Rehabilitation (Śānti-parva 148)
उपवासैर्बहुविधैश्वरिष्ये पारलौकिकम् । “भूख, प्यास और धूपका कष्ट सहन करते हुए शरीरको इतना दुर्बल बना दूँगा कि सारे शरीरमें फैली हुई नाड़ियाँ स्पष्ट दिखायी देंगी। मैं बारंबार अनेक प्रकारसे उपवास व्रत करके परलोक सुधारनेवाला पुण्य कर्म करूँगा
upavāsair bahuvidhaiś cariṣye pāralaukikam |
भीष्म उवाच— उपवासैर्बहुविधैः पारलौकिकं श्रेयः साधयिष्यामि। क्षुत्पिपासातपक्लेशान् सहमानो देहमेतं तथा कृशं करिष्यामि यथा सर्वासु नाडीषु प्रसृताः शिराः स्पष्टं दृश्येरन्; एवं इन्द्रियाणि नियम्य परलोकहिताय पुण्यकर्माणि करिष्यामि।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes tapas through disciplined fasting as an ethical-spiritual practice: restraining bodily appetites and enduring hardship can be directed toward puṇya (merit) and pāralaukika (otherworldly) welfare, aligning personal conduct with dharma.
In Bhishma’s discourse in the Shanti Parva, he describes a resolve to perform rigorous austerities—especially repeated, varied fasts—enduring hunger, thirst, and heat, as a means of spiritual purification and securing well-being in the next world.