Shloka 4

Puṣkara-Śapatha Itihāsa (Agastya–Indra Dispute at the Tīrthas) | पुष्कर-शपथ-आख्यानम्

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच मासार्धमासोपवासाद्‌ यत्‌ तपो मन्यते जन: । आत्मतन्त्रोपघाती यो न तपस्वी न धर्मवित्‌

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca māsa-ardha-māsa-upavāsād yat tapo manyate janaḥ | ātma-tantro-paghātī yo na tapasvī na dharma-vit ||

Translation

Sinabi ni Bhīṣma: “O Hari, yaong nag-aakalang ang tapas ay pag-aayuno lamang nang kalahating buwan o isang buwan ay walang saysay na pinahihirapan ang sariling katawan. Ang taong mapagpasya sa sarili at mapanira sa sarili sa ganitong paraan ay hindi tunay na ascetic, ni hindi rin nakaaalam ng dharma.”

Word by Word

• भीष्मः: Bhishma
• भीष्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मासार्धम्: half a month (a fortnight)
• मासार्धम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मासार्ध
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• मासोपवासात्: from a month-long fast / by fasting for a month
• मासोपवासात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मासोपवास
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• यत्: which (that)
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• मन्यते: thinks/considers
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

• जनः: people (a person/folk)
• जनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• आत्मतन्त्र: self-willed, acting independently
• आत्मतन्त्र: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आत्मतन्त्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उपघाती: injuring, harming
• उपघाती: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उपघातिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यः: who
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• तपस्वी: an ascetic; one who practices austerity
• तपस्वी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्विन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• न: nor/not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• धर्मवित्: knower of dharma
• धर्मवित्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मविद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• the King (Yudhishthira)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma teaches that austerity is not simply prolonged fasting; without right understanding and disciplined purpose, such fasting becomes self-harm and does not make one a true ascetic or a knower of dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anushasana Parva, Bhishma instructs King Yudhishthira on dharma. Here he critiques the popular notion that a fortnight- or month-long fast by itself constitutes tapas, emphasizing ethical discernment over mere bodily mortification.