Tapas as the Root of Attainment (तपः—साधनमूलप्रशंसा)
अहो नु रमणीयस्त्वमहो चासि मनोहर: । प्रीयामहे त्वया नित्यं तरुप्रवर शाल्मले,अहो! शाल्मले! तुम बड़े रमणीय और मनोहर हो। तरुप्रवर! तुमसे हमें सदा प्रसन्नता प्राप्त होती है
aho nu ramaṇīyas tvam aho cāsi manoharaḥ | prīyāmahe tvayā nityaṃ tarupravara śālmale ||
అహో! నీవెంత రమణీయుడవు, ఎంత మనోహరుడవు. ఓ వృక్షశ్రేష్ఠ శాల్మలీ! నీ వల్ల మేము నిత్యం ఆనందిస్తాము.
भीष्म उवाच
The verse highlights how the mind readily praises and clings to what appears pleasant. In ethical reflection, it can be read as a prompt to examine whether one’s delight is grounded in discernment (viveka) or merely in the pleasure an object provides.
Bhīṣma addresses a śālmali tree directly, admiring its beauty and saying it continually gives delight. The speech functions as a vivid, personifying address to a natural object, used to illustrate a point about attraction, appreciation, or the psychology of attachment within the broader Śānti-parvan discourse.