Shloka 15
जापक–इक्ष्वाकु–सत्यविवादः
The Jāpaka, Ikṣvāku, and the Dispute on Truth and Merit
अवज्ञानमहंकारो दम्भश्नैव विगर्हित: । अहिंसा सत्यमक्रोध: सर्वाश्रमगतं तप:
bharadvāja uvāca | avajñānam ahaṅkāro dambhaś caiva vigarhitaḥ | ahiṃsā satyam akrodhaḥ sarvāśramagataṃ tapaḥ ||
अवज्ञानमहंकारो दम्भश्चैव विगर्हितः। अहिंसा सत्यमक्रोधः सर्वाश्रमगतं तपः॥
भरद्वाज उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse contrasts condemned vices—disrespect, ego-pride, and hypocrisy—with universally valid austerities: non-violence, truthfulness, and mastery over anger. It frames ethical self-restraint as true tapas, applicable to all stages of life.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, the sage Bharadvāja speaks as a teacher, laying down practical moral criteria: what conduct is censured and what disciplines count as genuine austerity for everyone, regardless of āśrama.