Shloka 22

सांख्ययोगभेदः तथा योगबलोपदेशः

Sāṃkhya–Yoga Distinction and Instruction on Yogic Strength

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच पुरा सो5न्तर्जलगत: स्थाणुभूतो महाव्रत: । वर्षाणामभवद्‌ राजन प्रयुतान्यर्बुदानि च,भीष्मजीने कहा--नरेश्वर! प्राचीनकालमें महान्‌ व्रतधारी महादेवजी जलके भीतर हूँठे काठकी भाँति स्थिर भावसे खड़े हो लाखों-अरबों वर्षोतक तपस्या करते रहे

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca purā so 'ntar-jala-gataḥ sthāṇu-bhūto mahā-vrataḥ | varṣāṇām abhavad rājan prayutāny arbudāni ca ||

Translation

भीष्म उवाच—पुरा राजन् स महाव्रतः स्थाणुभूतो महादेवोऽन्तर्जलगतः। वर्षाणि प्रयुतान्यर्बुदानि च बहूनि तपोऽतप्यत्, स्तम्भ इव निश्चलः।

Word by Word

भीष्मःBhishma

उवाचsaid

पुराformerly, in ancient times

सःhe

अन्तर्जल-गतःgone within the water, submerged

स्थाणु-भूतःbecome like a stump/pillar (motionless)

महाव्रतःof great vow, great-vowed

वर्षाणाम्of years

अभवत्was, became; (it) amounted to

राजन्O king

प्रयुतानिten-thousands (units of 10,000)

अर्बुदानिarbuda-units (a very large number; traditionally 10^7 or 10^8 depending on system)

चand

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma (speaker)

King (addressed as rājan)

Mahadeva/Shiva (implied by the narrative context in the provided Hindi gloss)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the dharmic value of unwavering resolve (dhṛti) and rigorous self-restraint (tapas) as means to spiritual attainment—steadfastness so firm it is likened to a motionless pillar.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma recounts an ancient episode in which a great vow-holder (understood here as Mahadeva/Shiva) stands submerged in water, perfectly still, performing austerities for an unimaginably long span of time.