Shloka 12
Tapas as the Root of Attainment (तपः—साधनमूलप्रशंसा)
तव शाखा महाशाख स्कन्धांश्व विपुलांस्तथा । न वै प्रभग्नान् पश्यामि मारुतेन कथंचन,“महान् शाखाओंसे सुशोभित वनस्पते! मैं देखता हूँ कि तुम्हारी शाखाओं और मोटे तनोंको वायुदेव भी किसी तरह तोड़ नहीं सके हैं
tava śākhā mahāśākha skandhāṁś ca vipulāṁs tathā | na vai prabhagnān paśyāmi mārutena kathaṁcana ||
毗湿摩说道：“噢，大树啊，伟岸的巨枝为你增辉！我不见你的枝条与粗广的树干有丝毫折断——纵是风神也不能奈何。你在强力面前的坚定，是内在力量的征象：根植于坚固与正当秩序者，不会轻易向纷扰屈服。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses the image of an unbroken tree to praise steadfastness: true strength is stability under pressure, suggesting an ethical ideal of firmness in dharma and self-control amid disruptive forces.
Bhishma addresses a great tree (vanaspati) and observes that even the Wind-god has not been able to break its branches and thick trunks, employing the scene as a moral illustration of resilience.