Shloka 12
संधेयासंधेय-पुरुषनिर्णयः (Criteria for Allies and Non-Allies) — with the opening of the Gautama narrative
तप: परायणा: सर्वे सिद्ध्यन्ति तपसा च ते । इत्येवं तपसा देवा महत्त्व प्रतिपेदिरे
tapaḥ-parāyaṇāḥ sarve siddhyanti tapasā ca te | ityevaṁ tapasā devā mahattvaṁ pratipedire |
毗湿摩说道：一切众生皆以苦行（tapas）为归向；由苦行而得圆满与成功。正是以此方式，连诸天也凭苦行而成就其崇高伟大——昭示克己自持、严谨自律乃普遍之道，可使灵性与德行同得升华。
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Tapas—disciplined austerity and self-restraint—is presented as a universal means of attaining siddhi (accomplishment) and mahattva (greatness). Even the gods are said to have reached eminence through tapas, underscoring its ethical and spiritual power.
In the Shanti Parva instruction, Bhishma is teaching about dharma and the sources of true excellence. He emphasizes that success and elevated status arise from sustained austerity, using the gods as an authoritative example.