Shloka 24
अहिंसा-प्रधान धर्मविचारः
Ahiṃsā as the Superior Dharma: Practical and Scriptural Reasoning
तत्राड्ुछ्ठेन राजेन्द्र निखर्वमपरं ततः । तस्थौ पितामहं चैव तोषयामास यत्नत:
tatrāṅguṣṭhena rājendra nikharvam aparaṃ tataḥ | tasthau pitāmahaṃ caiva toṣayāmāsa yatnataḥ ||
Wika ni Bhīṣma: “Doon, O hari, matapos iyon, tumindig pa siya nang isa pang ganap na nikharva na mga taon, nakabalanse lamang sa kaniyang hinlalaki. Sa gayong mabigat at di-natitinag na pagsisikap, napalugod niya si Pitāmaha Brahmā.”
पितामह उवाच
Educational Q&A
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.
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.