Adhyāya 284: Tapas as a Corrective to Household Attachment
Parāśara’s Instruction
रागी और विरागी-दोनों जिनके स्वरूप हैं, जो ध्यानपरायण, रुद्राक्षकी माला धारण करनेवाले, कारण-रूपसे सबमें व्याप्त और कार्यरूपसे पृथक्-पृथक् दिखायी देनेवाले हैं तथा जो सम्पूर्ण जगत्को छाया और धूप प्रदान करते हैं, उन भगवान् शंकरको नमस्कार है ।।
aghora-ghora-rūpāya ghora-ghoratārāya ca | namaḥ śivāya śāntāya namaḥ śāntatamāya ca ||
(rāgī ca virāgī ca—ubhayam yasya svarūpam; dhyāna-parāyaṇaḥ; rudrākṣa-mālā-dhārī; kāraṇa-rūpeṇa sarvatra vyāptaḥ, kārya-rūpeṇa pṛthak pṛthag iva dṛśyamānaḥ; sarva-jagatāṃ chāyā-tapaḥ-pradaḥ—taṃ bhagavantaṃ śaṅkaraṃ namāmi.)
Pagpupugay kay Panginoong Śaṅkara (Śiva): yaong ang kalikasan ay kapwa may pagnanasa at walang pagnanasa; nakalubog sa pagninilay at may suot na rosaryong rudrākṣa; na bilang sanhi ay lumalaganap sa lahat, ngunit bilang bunga ay lumilitaw na magkakaibang anyo; at nagbibigay sa buong daigdig ng lilim at init. Pagpupugay kay Śiva—mapayapa at lubhang mapayapa—na nag-aanyong di-nakakatakot, nakakatakot, at higit pang nakakatakot kaysa sa nakakatakot; muli’t muli akong yumuyuko sa kanya.
भीष्म उवाच
The verse teaches that the Divine (Shiva) transcends apparent opposites—fierce and gentle, attached and detached, many and one. He pervades all as the underlying cause, yet appears as diverse effects; therefore reverence is due to the One who contains and harmonizes all polarities while remaining supremely peaceful.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction-setting, Bhishma offers a devotional salutation (stuti) to Shiva, praising his cosmic pervasiveness, ascetic symbolism (rudraksha, meditation), and paradoxical nature (aghora/ghora), before continuing the broader discourse on dharma and spiritual understanding.