Shloka 73

Tapas, Tīrtha, and Moral Rehabilitation (Śānti-parva 148)

Devanagari script

उपवासैर्बहुविधैश्वरिष्ये पारलौकिकम्‌ । “भूख

Transliteration

upavāsair bahuvidhaiś cariṣye pāralaukikam |

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“我将修持多种斋戒，以行功德，求来世之安乐。忍受饥饿、干渴与烈日之苦，我要使此身衰弱到遍布全身的血脉清晰可见——以此调伏诸根，将精进导向彼世之善。”

Word by Word

• उपवासैः: by fasts
• उपवासैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपवास
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• बहुविधैः: of many kinds
• बहुविधैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहुविध
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• चरिष्ये: I shall practice/undertake
• चरिष्ये: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर्
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), First, Singular, Parasmaipada

• पारलौकिकम्: otherworldly (merit/benefit)
• पारलौकिकम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पारलौकिक
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes tapas through disciplined fasting as an ethical-spiritual practice: restraining bodily appetites and enduring hardship can be directed toward puṇya (merit) and pāralaukika (otherworldly) welfare, aligning personal conduct with dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s discourse in the Shanti Parva, he describes a resolve to perform rigorous austerities—especially repeated, varied fasts—enduring hunger, thirst, and heat, as a means of spiritual purification and securing well-being in the next world.