Shloka 24

अहिंसा-प्रधान धर्मविचारः

Ahiṃsā as the Superior Dharma: Practical and Scriptural Reasoning

Devanagari script

तत्राड्ुछ्ठेन राजेन्द्र निखर्वमपरं ततः । तस्थौ पितामहं चैव तोषयामास यत्नत:,राजेन्द्र! तदनन्तर हिमालय पर्वतके शिखरपर जहाँ पहले देवताओंने यज्ञ किया था, उस स्थानपर वह परम शुभलक्षणा कन्या एक निखर्व वर्षोतक अँगूठेके बलपर खड़ी रही। इस प्रकार यत्न करके उसने पितामह ब्रह्माजीको संतुष्ट कर लिया

Transliteration

tatrāṅguṣṭhena rājendra nikharvam aparaṃ tataḥ | tasthau pitāmahaṃ caiva toṣayāmāsa yatnataḥ ||

Translation

అక్కడే, రాజేంద్రా, ఆ తరువాత ఆమె కేవలం బొటనవేలు బలంపై మరొక సంపూర్ణ నిఖర్వ సంవత్సరాలపాటు నిలిచి నిలిచింది. అటువంటి కఠినమైన, అచంచల ప్రయత్నంతో ఆమె పితామహ బ్రహ్మను ప్రసన్నం చేసింది.

Word by Word

तत्रthere

अङ्गुष्ठेनwith/on the thumb

राजेन्द्रO king of kings

निखर्वम्a nikhārva (a vast number/measure; here: a very long period)

अपरम्another; further

ततःthen; thereafter

तस्थौstood; remained

पितामहम्the Grandsire (Brahmā)

चand

एवindeed; just

तोषयामासcaused to be pleased; satisfied

यत्नतःwith effort; diligently

Speaker

पितामह उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma (Pitāmaha as speaker)

Brahmā (Pitāmaha)

Rājendra (the king addressed, i.e., Yudhiṣṭhira)

Himālaya (mountain peak; implied by context in the given passage)

the maiden/princess performing austerity (unnamed in this verse)

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 power of sustained tapas—steadfast self-discipline and sincere effort can win divine grace. Ethical emphasis falls on perseverance, restraint, and single-minded dedication to a higher aim.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma narrates an episode in which a virtuous maiden performs extreme austerity: she stands balanced on her thumb for an immense duration (‘another nikharva of years’) and thereby satisfies Pitāmaha Brahmā.